The Ones I Care Most About
by thewonderpen
Summary: WARNING AOU SPOILERS! A collection of scenes exploring the relationship between our favorite assassins and Laura. All about how they mange between a married couple and the best friend. I do not own Marvel or the characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! So one more time…CONTAINS AOU SPOILERS!**

 **First off, thanks for reading. Now just to get this off my chest, I do ship clintasha, like obsessively. That being said, Clint's storyline in aou was phenomenal. I mean, if my ship didn't go canon then this would be like the best alternative version. I still plan to write a clintasha fic, but I really wanted to write something that explored the relation of Clint and Laura being close friends with Natasha. So with no further… the one-shots!**

 **Seven Years before Battle of New York**

The mission went south. It was her first mission that went chaotic since her joining SHEILD just over a year ago. The information on the target was vague and mostly false, there were trap doors, and secret agencies, and everything else they weren't prepared for.

Still in all, they were Strike Team: Delta so of course the mission was completed, with the absence of grace, the pair was accustomed to.

Clint glanced back from the pilot seat, his still timid and suspicious partner sat just feet away from him in agony. A bullet had done pretty good damage to Natasha's abdomen, she had fought through the pain with the assistance of the adrenaline rush during the height of the battle, but now as she tried to help the blood loss, the pain was excruciating. Clint couldn't care for her like this, he couldn't even watch her go through this. He needed to take her someplace safe, he couldn't trust bringing an injured Natasha Romanoff to SHEILD, not yet. He would have to take her to his secret nest, it wasn't a question, he had to.

Twenty minutes before arrival, Natasha passed out. Clint carried her to the front door, where he was greeted by his wife.

"You're back, I just-," Laura turned to face her husband taking note of the unconscious woman in his arms, "Is that…. Natasha?"

Clint briefly met her lips, as a greeting. "I've missed you," his voice shifted to a sense of urgency, "Yes, it is and she needs help, now."

Laura followed her husband up to a guest bedroom. The walls were a light shade of purple, and a bed was placed next to a row of windows overlooking the farm. Clint placed the limp woman on the mattress delicately, Laura followed with a case of "advanced" first aid items.

"This should keep her asleep for a bit," Clint said as he injected a needle in her wrist, "Can you apply pressure to the wound please, were going out to have to clean it out before we stitch it shut," Clint's voice changing as if he was ordering instructions to himself.

"Not that mind helping your friend, but isn't this usually the reason why SHEILD has a massive medical bay?"

"There's a lot of people there that still aren't happy I brought in a stray assassin, it was too risky to have those people operate on her, and plus Natasha hates hospitals."

Their hands moved rapidly over the agent's body. "Well, they may not trust her, but for the record, I still think you made the best choice bringing her in." Laura stated with pride, Clint grinned in her direction.

"So what did I miss?" Clint asked eagerly

"Well I think the morning sickness is finally coming to end, it's been three months, it's about time in my book," Laura laughed.

The couple talked until Natasha was completely patched up, then exhaustedly retired to bed, to hopeful catch a few hours of sleep before sunlight.

Morning came far too soon, and Clint was especially groggy as he pulled on jeans and t-shirt.

"I'm getting coffee," Clint groaned and headed downstairs.

"I guess I'll check on the patient then," Laura called after, smiling and shaking her head at her whiny husband. Once Laura reached the guest room, she saw Natasha's eyes for the first time. There was this powerful assassin sitting up in the bed with the eyes of a terrified child. Natasha flinched upon seeing her in the doorway, she bought her knees to chest. Everything looked innocent, including the stranger looking at her, but Natasha couldn't trust a place she didn't know and was contemplating whether to attack or not.

"Clint!" Laura called before turning her attention back to the now conscience woman, "Hi, I'm Laura, I know we haven't met formerly, but-"

"Nat!" Clint rushed into the room, "You're awake, and you've met my wife, apparently"

Laura noticed how Natasha relaxed as Clint came into the room. "You're married, Barton?" Clint couldn't help but laugh at the confused look on her face.

"Yeah, it's not something I share so easily over at SHEILD, but uhh, you're good at keeping secrets right?" Clint smiled even more, "So how are you feeling? Laura and I played doctors last night, glad you're still alive." The couple shared a short laughed together.

"You're married, Barton?" Natasha repeated, looking no less perplexed as her eyes shifted from the woman to Clint.

"Yes, yes, come on, keep up Nat," Clint shook his head while grinning, "you need food, you lost a lot of blood last night." Natasha touched the bandaged covered portion of her abdomen, "Thank you," she said looking directly at Laura.

"Anytime."

Clint pulled Natasha up and directed her to the kitchen where Laura prepared breakfast. The agent spoke very little during the meal, choosing to observe the interactions of the odd couple. She retreated to the living room afterwards where she noticed a black and white photo laying on the coffee table, she couldn't resist getting a closer look.

"Well I'm sure you have plenty of questions to ask me," Clint announced as he entered to room.

"You're going to be a father," she stated blankly, not moving her eyes from the photo.

Clint laughed, "You could see Laura's bump, right? She swears no one can tell yet but I said-"

"Actually, from the very obvious ultrasound that was left out in the open," Natasha rolled her eyes and angled the image so Clint could see.

"Ahh, that. Almost forgot."

"How do you know you can trust her?" Nat asked suddenly.

"Laura? She came in the picture before SHEILD, only Fury knows, this is all off the record. But trust? Laura makes it easy for one to trust her, talk to her, you'll see."

Natasha nodded, and after a long pause, her eyes widened in excitement and she laughed, "You're going to be a dad! You, my friend, are old."

Clint smiled at her laugh, "make fun, but I'm only a couple years older than you, remember?"

 **Four Years before the Battle of New York**

"Nat!" Clint burst into his partner's dorm at base, she didn't even flinch from where she laying comfortably in bed that early morning.

"Clint," her voice was both threatening and sleepy, "shut up and leave, even agents need their beauty sleep."

"Nat, you're beautiful enough, just wake up please!" Natasha groaned dramatically without opening her eyes, "Nat, I'm going to be a dad… again!"

Her eyes flew open, "Laura's pregnant?" Clint nodded, grinning like a child.

"Barton, congratulations!" She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. She wouldn't mind visiting another tiny Barton baby, "I have to call Laura, this is great!"

"She'd love to hear from you again, you haven't come to visit in months."

"Look, I don't know how you get away with this double life but, being an agent takes up most of my time."

"Just promise me you'll come over soon, please?" Clint begged.

"Of course, someone has to teach my nephew how to throw knives," Natasha said, flashing an evil smile.

Clint rolled his eyes, "terrible aunt," he mumbles while laughing.

 **Good, bad, indifferent? Please let me know, I really appreciate reviews. I'll be coming out with the second chapter soon. Thank you for your time everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone that reviewed, followed, and favorited. I really appreciate the support. This chapter isn't my favorite but I wanted to write it to sort of bridge into some others themes since everything will be in chronological order, so please bear with me.**

 **Three Years before the Battle of New York**

"Look alive, Barton!" Natasha ruffled his uncombed hair as she appeared from behind his chair in the SHIELD cafeteria.

Barton groaned in response. "Don't get feisty with me, Romanoff. This whole double life is getting increasingly difficult with two kids at home." Clint made sure to whisper the second part."

"Although I admire your child production hobby, you need a night off." Natasha offered him a genuine smile.

Clint laughed, "Maybe I'll drop them at the dog pound of a day or two." Natasha suddenly looked very serious and began shaking her head vigorously.

"No, Barton. I will not." Her voice began to lower dangerously.

"Nat, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Clint I'm a spy, I see where this conversation is heading and the answer is no." She said firmly.

"Wait, did you think I was going to ask you to-, "Clint stopped suddenly before putting a goofy smile on his face, "wait would you?"

"Clint, I will not babysit the tiny humans!"

"Come on Nat, you're the only person Laura and I both trust, and the kids love you," Clint didn't raise his voice above a whisper. He could see Natasha contemplating it over in her head. "Nat, do this for us and I will name the next one after you," he began smiling goofily again.

"The next one!" Natasha exclaimed in a hushed shout, "What are you? A factory for tiny next generation farmers!" They both laughed and Natasha sighed, "Fine, one day, that's all you get, Clint" Clint pumped his fist in victory while Natasha began to regret giving in so easily.

The very next weekend, Natasha found herself sitting in Clint's living room with six month old Lila in her arms, as the couple were setting off for the night. Cooper squealed excitedly as he ran down the stairs. Natasha set the baby aside to catch the energetic little boy that was ready to launch himself into the arms of his aunt.

"I'm so glad you're watching us, we can play spies"!" Cooper exclaimed, hardly containing her emotions

"You play spies?" Natasha sounded impressed. Clint gave a dramatic throat clearing that made her look up.

"Cooper does play spies and he's pretty good, might just give you a run for your money," he winked mischievously.

"Oh Barton, did he beat you at spying? That's completely understandable," Natasha earned a laugh from Laura and Clint glared at her with a smirk.

"That's it we are leaving, I hope they keep you up all night, Romanoff," After last goodbyes they were gone.

Natasha faced the impossible task in front of her. She was the Black Widow, she was everything except who she was trying to imitate at that moment. She wasn't comfortable with this life but she was comfortable with Clint and Laura and as the night carried on she was comfortable with these kids. As Lila and Cooper went to sleep for the night, Natasha saw one of those subtle but impactful changes in her. She could see herself being something besides the Black Widow.

 **Same Night**

Clint flashed his wife a smile from the driver's seat, he wanted to have this night so bad and here it was.

"Clint, I really love Natasha. I don't know what it is but she's has lovely personality." Laura had that same compassion in her eyes as always

"You've clearly never been in a fire fight with her." Clint smirked.

"I'm being serious," Laura giggled, "She's a great friend."

"I agree with you. And I'm only slightly offended that you don't act the least bit jealous that I spend weeks at a time on missions with another woman. Meanwhile I'm currently despising our 70 year old mailman for looking too giddy when he gets to hand you the mail."

"You know I'm not the jealous type, and anyways Natasha is way out of your league." Laura emphasized.

"If Romanoff is out of my league, then however do I even come close to having you?" Clint kissed his wife's hand and she blushed a deep shade of red. Clint was proud he was the only guy that could make her blush.

Laura gathered herself. "Nat is different I don't get jealous over her. It's like she is registering what it's like for people to really trust her and she isn't willing to let that go. I think she's comfortable with her friendship with you and wouldn't risk anything to ruin it." She smiled at the thought of one of her closet friends.

"You read people well, you know that? Anyways, I didn't take this weekend off to discuss Nat, I had other intentions," he said with a wink.

"Well, aren't you feeling smooth this evening?" Laura blushed again.

 **Short chapter I know, but I didn't want to my next one with these, it didn't seem to fit. The next one will get a bit angsty, I should be up either tonight or tomorrow evening. Thank you for the support, and please leave comments, questions, or qualms.**


	3. Chapter 3

**As always, thank for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Your support means a lot to me.**

 **Also, I raised the rating just to be safe.**

 **Anyways, here is the next chapter.**

 **One Year before Battle of New York**

Clint was grateful to be back in the carrier with Natasha, he didn't want to relive the images embedded in his mind.

Child slavery and human trafficking rings were by far the most emotional exhausting missions. It sickened Clint to see children younger than his own left in these explicitly inhumane lives. For Natasha, it revisited her to a place that she generally would oppose to letting her mind go to. Strike Team: Delta saw its heart being pulled out at every horrific sight these past few days, they couldn't take the mental torture anymore for a moment longer.

As they were known for, the mission itself was a success, but there were no victory parties aboard the two man shuttle. They had barely spoken a word since they boarded, Clint flew for hours without asking to switch out, while Natasha stayed in a dreamlike state in the copilot seat. Her arms clenched her sides to cover her chest and her head lay to the side facing Clint, although from the emotion in her eyes it was very clear she wasn't looking at him, she was much farther away. Occasionally she would shiver suddenly and her lips would mouth words with no sound, as if she thinking hard about something.

"I'm not taking you back to base like this," Clint said in almost a growl. He didn't need to elaborate, she already knew what he meant. Coulson would be understanding, Fury would be bothered but not nearly enough to order them back.

Natasha's only response was a slow nod. If she was honest with herself and perhaps less broken at the moment, she'd be ecstatic right now to go to the safest and happiest place she knew. She valued her trips to the farm as a time for much needed peace in a life that revolved around the disorder in the world.

They arrived just after the children's bedtime, Laura was pleasant as always as she prepared them both dinner. The meal was similar to the first one the trio had shared, Clint and Laura talked tirelessly while Natasha observed, somewhat dazed.

As the late dinner concluded, Clint dismissed himself to the basement. The small exercise area in the basement is where you'd customarily find Clint after a particularly rough mission, working and training the pain away. Natasha settled restlessly in the living room finding small trinkets to busy her hands and distract her mind.

Natasha didn't feel as if she could sleep at moment, but she was capable of lying in a dark room until sleep overtook her. And with that thought she headed to the guest bedroom. On her journey there she past the master bedroom where the door was open and Laura was braiding her hair for the night.

"Hey you, you're like a cat with those silent footsteps," Laura called out to Natasha who stopped and spun on her heel to face her, "Well, come in Nat, we definitely need to talk."

Natasha entered the room and took a seat on the bed, she wondered if she was supposed to talk first but Laura interrupted that thought.

"How are you?" she asked while taking a seat next to the agent, "and be honest with me, please"

Laura's eyes were pleading and Natasha sighed, "I need to wipe the images from the front of my mind, once I push them back I can stop reliving m-my past." She sounded like she was reciting a drill, "I need to think about anything else just to help me forget, at least temporarily."

Laura followed her intently before deciding to speak. She opened her mouth to give her response, then stopped and smiled, "I know what you and I need." And with that she rushed from room. She returned less than a minute later with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Now I am a mother, so I can't officially condone this, but off the record," she handed a full glass to Natasha, "you're going to need this."

Natasha smiled before taking a long sip, she did need this, and she might need a few a more of these.

"We're also going to need some chocolate," Laura announced, already proud of her first idea.

"I thought you couldn't keep candy around because Barton always got into it?"

Laura smiled triumphantly, "A wife ALWAYS has a secret stash." She pulled a small box out from behind a picture frame and waved it before joining her best friend. "Okay Nat, a conversation about anything besides that mission, start now."

"Hmm well, your husband is an idiot." Nat smiled at Laura's laugh.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this conversation." The night went on and the two woman drank while discussing every annoying trait Barton has. Natasha explained all the SHIELD gossip of who hooked up with who, who had a crush on who, and who accidently shot who on a mission.

At some point, although neither of the ladies knew when, they were asleep sprawled out on the bed with empty wine glasses and candy wrappers. Clint entered the room hoping to get some sleep, when he found Natasha on his side.

"NA-TA-SHA!" his voice didn't go above a harsh whisper. Nat let out a muffled groan. Clint poked her ribs, "Tasha!" A slightly louder groan, "I am not about to sleep in that uncomfortable guest bed because you and Laura drank a bit too much while complaining about like… tampons and celebrity gossip or something."

Natasha rolled over to face Clint with her eyes still shut, "You're an idiot. Anyways I don't feel like moving, go away now."

Clint rolled his eyes, "don't feel like moving, not a problem," he mumbled to himself. He scooped Nat into his arms and lift her up. Natasha, who was still half asleep, lashed out weakly against him. Clint carried his partner to the guest room and dropped her impolitely on the bed.

She was now fully awake, "You know I'm going to kill you for this in the morning, right?"

Clint laughed, "Yep, just don't do it in front of the kids, we wouldn't want to traumatize them now would we?"

"You're a jerk, Barton"

"A jerk that gave you a place to sleep, besides the floor, I must be so evil."

Natasha's eyes softened as she sat up, "Seriously though, thank you, I needed someplace to go, someplace safe, and this is all of that."

Clint placed a hand on her shoulder, "People tend to say that about their own homes, Nat" She smiled. She was home.

"Goodnight, Tasha"

"Goodnight, idiot" Clint chuckled, she always had to add in something. Clint retreated to his own bed where he pulled his wife in close to kiss her neck, she smiled in her sleep.

The next morning both Laura and Natasha were slightly hungover leaving Clint to get his kids dressed and fed while babysitting his wife and best friend.

"Never...again..." Laura moaned at the kitchen table where she was sitting with Nat and her husband.

"There are those famous words," Clint laughed, "Romanoff, you certainly handle your alcohol well, as always."

Natasha smirked, "Don't be ashamed that I can drink you all under the table." She grinned and took a long sip of coffee.

"Well, you're alcohol habits might come in handy, we have to get back to base by tonight, Fury is sending us on solo missions."

"Solo missions? Where's the fun in that?"

"I think yours will be loads of fun," Clint smiled darkly, "what's more exciting than babysitting Tony Stark for a few weeks?"

"No, you're joking, Clint please say you're joking, please?"

"Hey you enjoy yourself, I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with Coulson, to look at a weapon or crater or something!"

Laura laughed while shaking her head, "your jobs are weird."

 **Okay, were starting to line up with the movies, and the fun really begins! I think I will take the suggestion I was given and write some of these in Clint or Natasha's point of view. Thank you for the support, next chapter will be up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Once again I just wanted to say thank you to all those who favorited and followed, I also really appreciate the feedback I've been receiving in the reviews.**

 **Before I get started I just wanted to know your opinion on Brutasha shipping. Personally, I'm still adjusting into being ok with it, at the moment I'm not a fan. However, at some point were going to be getting around the events in AoU, and wanted to know if any readers wanted: to include some Bruce\Natasha pairing themes, didn't mind either way, or rather leave it out of the chapters all together. Please let me know, thank you so much.**

 **A Few Hours Later**

Clint and Natasha flew back to base, enjoying each other's company, neither wanted to go on the solo missions they were assigned, so they cherished these last few hours they would have.

"Do you remember our mission in Rio, remember how perfect the skyline was the night we took out the target on the roof," Clint began reminiscing over their past missions.

"Seriously, Barton? That's what you remember?" Natasha glared at him annoyed. As SHIELD's finest pair, you would think that they would be able to collaborate on a single mission. This was farthest from the truth, the only mission where two stories coincide was the Skopje mission, which neither talked about.

Coulson, as their handler, hated debriefing them. On record, the story was a sterling achievement, however if you read their personal accounts, you wouldn't see any similarities. Natasha's account only included idiotic decisions made by her partner and the times she had to heroically rescue him. Clint, on the other hand, would speak of everything except the mission. Honestly, Coulson believed that Clint confused his job with being a tourist. His personal accounts, were almost always about the beauty of the city, cultural differences he found amusing, or how many times his partner threatened to shoot him.

"I remember you sneezing while we were hiding in the vents of a quiet warehouse, and having to fight off two organizations that were meeting there."  
"Oh right. Man, how unfortunate was it that they happened to be dealing firearms when I sneezed?" Natasha flashed him a glare while smirking, Clint chuckled, "Knowing you, you'd probably say that Budapest was the most action packed mission we've been on together."

"And you don't?" Natasha voice was higher, demonstrating the clear surprise in her voice.

Clint shook his head, smiling, "You had a very different experience in Budapest."

 _Flashback_

 _The chase Clint had been on these past few days were nerve wracking, Natalia was proving to be a difficult target. The streets of Budapest was their battle ground, and for the two agents it could only be compared to a minefield. At any given moment, one of the assassins had the upper hand, and was one step ahead of the other._

 _Clint was disturbed with the amount of time his mission was estimated to take verses how long is what actually taking. A kill mission meant an arrow to the chest, and a mad dash away from the scene, this was turning into a wild goose chase._

 _Fury also managed to be annoyed at his so-called "best agent". Every night when Clint had to check in with SHIELD, he was treated to one of Fury's shouting fits, and a colorful use of vocabulary, tonight was no exception._

 _"Sir, this girl isn't some mindless puppet with skills, she's a seasoned killer and spy with the intelligence of…. Well, an experienced spy!" Clint paraphrased what he'd told Fury every night._

 _"Barton! It's been three days! You can't convince me that it's this difficult to kill one girl, you must be distracted somehow, and if this girl is still alive in 24 hours, I'm extracting you, and sending in someone capable of firing a gun!" Fury proceeded to yell about his shortcomings._

 _"Sir," Barton heaved an exhausted breath, "I don't think appealing to my competitive side will somehow make this girl any less lethal, I can only imagine-"The lights in Clint's trashy motel suddenly went dark._

 _Barton swung his bow into position, and crouched down while taking in his surroundings. He felt a slight vibration, barely noticeable, along with the faint change in room that implied he wasn't alone._

" _So, Natalia, what do you say about calling a truce on this little prank war we've got going on," he heard a distinguishable footstep heading in his direction behind the bed, he should be dead by now. Based on everything he's read on the mysterious Black Widow she didn't hesitate. She wasn't one to triumphantly give a finial witty comment before delivering the death blow, if she had the opportunity she would kill you, she was so quick that many people still considered her to be a legend or myth of some kind._

 _Something clicked in Barton, he had his moment, he hand the upper hand. It was time to complete the mission. With that he armed an arrow into place, and turned around. Even in dark her hair and eyes glowed, her skin had a small tint of shine, only to feature her tired and painful features of the twenty year old woman. This was best look he had ever gotten of her, but it countered every piece of information he'd gathered on her. She was supposedly fearless and had the confidence to match, but here was a child with fear and confusion, lacking only in innocence._

 _He paused, if only for a split second, they looked in each other's eyes and saw their hurt. As they snapped back to their missions each falling into a synchronized fight, something tugged on Clint. He could blame it simply on his fatigue but it felt like much more. Perhaps it was her hesitation, the look in her eyes, or even the way she was fighting now, as if she was holding back. Natasha was at war within herself, that was evident._

 _The fight was still brutal and bloody, but at last he had slammed the back of her head into the wall. She made a muffled groan, before crumpling to her knees from pure exhaustion. Clint loaded his bow, and aimed. The girl's eyes were now icy and unwavering as she was preparing to meet death, still she wanted one last look at the agent, she'd let overpower her._

" _You were wrong," she whispered. Whatever was pulling on Clint's mind before was now easing his grip on the bowstring. "I am a mindless puppet, I just happen to be a… smart puppet," Her voice tapered off and her eyes drooped. Clint's mouth parted some at his realization, it was him that he saw in the hopeless case. "I could be a hero, just like her," Clint thought while pictures of his girlfriend Laura raced through his mind. Clint disarmed the bow, instead using it to knock the woman out cold._

" _Barton, why do I have a feeling that your mission is incomplete?" Coulson sounded much steadier than Fury._

" _I don't know Coulson, maybe it has something to do with the fact that I haven't checked in 36 hours and my last conversation with Fury ended mysteriously."_

" _Sarcasm, very pleasant Clint."_

" _Thank you, darling," Clint mocked, "However I wanted to report that I'm ready for extraction."_

" _So the girl is dead, I knew you were going to complete it," Coulson sounded like a proud father._

" _No, no she's alive, but I'm still ready for extraction. Also I need a concussion kit aboard whatever carrier you send."_

" _Umm, okay. I can arrange for a replacement team to complete the mission. How bad do you think your concussion is?"_

 _Clint voice remained awkwardly pleasant, "Don't bother with a replacement, and the kit is for her, I'm fine." Instant pain began throbbing through Coulson's head._

" _Clint," his voice was lower than Clint had ever heard before, "who is her, and give the full story, now."_

" _Well, she's a great person, Coulson, just misguided and over used. People like her deserves a better chance, and she's great at her job, we could make her an agent."_

 _"Where is she now, and when did you have time to such a deep conversation about emotions with the Black Widow?"_

 _"Natalia is fine, she's here in my motel room, uhh, resting right now. And technically, we haven't exactly conversed yet, but I'm right about this one, Coulson."_

 _Phil was no longer calm, Phil was shouting, "Barton, I swear if you slept with her, and think you can just bring you murdering girlfriend back to base-!"_

 _"Whoa, whoa, Phil I didn't sleep with her! I just been injecting sleeping agents in her every few hours. She's chained to the bed and everything is fine,"_

 _"So you plan to force recruitment on to a stray enemy assassin, and convince Fury to do the same, Clint I'm starting to wish you slept her."_

 _"C'mon Phil, you know I couldn't do that to Laura. In fact, Natalia helped me realize something about my relationship with Laura. I'm going to ask her to marry me when I get back."_

 _Coulson hung up without another word. Clint was clearly delusional, and was now going watch his plan burn in front of him._

 _Flashback End_

"… and then Fury called and yelled at me for a few hours," Clint recalled as they neared SHEILD's base, "and the two of them kept calling until we finally made it back to D.C."

Natasha couldn't stop laughing, "I'm glad I inspired you so much, but do remember fighting the KGB or escaping from the agents Fury sent to kill me."

"Details, details, the phone calls was the worst part of that," Clint smiled and faced her as they sat in the now parked car he'd rented soon after landing somewhere in Maryland, "ready?"

"No," she offered him a soft smile, "can we go back home?"

He laughed and put his hand on her shoulder, "Soon, you'll be back on the farm soon."

Natasha nodded, neither had any idea that she wouldn't see the farm again for an entire year.

 **So what did you think? Boring, cheesy, some other emotion? Please let me know, and share any suggestions you may have. Thank you!**

 **Also, a reviewer bought out an error I made in some previous chapters about which of Clint's kids were older. Although it doesn't necessarily impact the plot of anything, but I now found it very annoying to read, so I apologize for my lack of research and I hope to be able to fix the problem by this weekend.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! Thank you for everyone who favorited and followed. And a special thank you to all my amazing reviewers!**

 **Still One Year before Battle of New York**

 **Natasha's POV**

"So, you want me to babysit Tony Stark?"

"I want you to do whatever it takes to control him," Fury gave me a look that implied everything I didn't want to do, "you're leaving in an hour, I would have given you more time to prepare if you and Barton hadn't taken it upon yourselves to schedule a day off," Fury glared at me.

"Sir, I was just-" Fury cut me off.

"You're dismissed, Romanoff." As I turned to leave I didn't care about being concerned with Fury's cold attitude, many agents would consider that his good mood, deep down I knew I was and always will be one of his favorites.

At the moment, I was more focused on seeing Clint one last time before I left. When I got to my dorm to pack, Clint was already waiting for me.

"Hey, how did it go with Fury?" Clint grabbed a bag of candy I kept it in the kitchenette before flopping on my bed.

"He's a bit moody about us taking a personal day, but overall, well. I have to get inside Stark's life by 'any means necessary' according to Fury." We shared a look as I dropped a couple of revealing party dresses into my bag. Clint groaned and tossed a peppermint at my shoulder.

"Please don't, Natasha"

"And since when do you care what I do with my body," I turned to face him, somewhat irritated. Clint sat up in his and have me a stern "really?" look. And sighed, "It's a job Clint, one that you gave me if you remember, you know I hate when it comes down to this."

Clint looked no less annoyed at me, "when do you leave?"

"About a half an hour," I zipped up the now pack bag and pulled it over my shoulder, "which gives me enough time to grab my weapons from the safe and board the carrier, goodbye Barton." If he was going to act like a pain, so could I.

"Natasha," he stood up flustered, "you need to eat"

I scoffed, "I'm not your child." I walked out of the door, leaving Clint to fume in my room.

As I gathered my weapons I thought about Clint, I know I was being somewhat unreasonable but who was he to get upset with me over my own job. I hated thinking I had to make such a compromise but it was an order, and possibly the only one to gather the information Fury needed.

I headed toward the car that awaiting to take me to the airport, but not before spitefully grabbing a couple of granola bars from the cafeteria.

 **Clint POV**

After Nat slammed the door of her own room, I was tempted to storm after her and demand why she was being so defensive. This wasn't the first time I've complained about her accepting these ridiculous orders, whether it was needlessly putting her danger or using her… other tactics. I didn't need to leave for about a week or so, I hoped to see Natasha before then, preferably in a better mood.

A few minutes after her hasty leave I resolved just to give her space, and left her room making sure to steal the rest of her candy.

 **About Two Weeks Later**

Natasha waited eagerly on the edge of her bed as the phone rang once, twice, and again.

Clint- Nat?

Nat -*sighing* Clint

Clint- Jesus Tasha, I was seriously questioning our friendship for a bit.

Nat- You can't get rid of me that easily, Barton.

Clint- How are you? Are you back at base yet?

Nat- No, Stark was a bit more of a basket case than I expected, I'll fill you in when you get back.

Clint- Well I'm in the middle of a New Mexican desert with a stressed out Son of Coul.

Nat- I'm in a fancy hotel room in the city. I win this round.

Clint- To be fair, I'm not doing much work, more just waiting for the Son of Coul to give me someplace to nest.

Nat- Well I've been perfectly satisfied with the amount work this job has given me, a building collapsed in on me, and what is with the fifth century pronunciation of Coulson's name?

Clint- Oh man Nat, this Thor guy is great, I honestly hope you meet him, you guys would get along great. I'm sorry, did you say a building fell on you?

Nat- Technically yes, and I admit it would have been easier to vacate if I wasn't wearing that stupid print dress.

Clint- Naaaat! Speaking of the dress, umm did you…

Nat- No, Clint. Everything worked out fine, sort of.

Clint- Alright, well I guess we have more catching up to do when we get back, agent Romanoff.

Nat- It appears we do, agent Barton, we always do.

Natasha hung up, and bounced the phone on her lap, looking around the room she felt out of place. It was as if she needed to be stabilized at that moment but she wasn't given that option. There was only a single place and only two people that were capable of giving her this calm. She leaned back into the mattress, and came to terms that they might as well have been light-years away.

 **Hey everyone, short chapter I know, but don't fret the next one will be up soon. Please don't forget to share your thoughts on Brutasha pairing in the reviews. Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! Thank you to everyone that reviewed, followed, and favorited. I appreciate the support. To my reviewers Alex C and discordchick, I pretty much agree with you on bruce\natasha pairing. It seemed sudden and I'm very unsure how I feel about it, or how much of it I will include in my scenes. Let me know what the rest think, please and thank you.**

 **Six Months before Battle of New York**

 **Natasha POV**

Clint had been visiting his family for a couple weeks, leaving me at base without a partner. I desperately wanted to see Laura and the kids again but time was a terrible factor. Fury was sending me on mission after mission. Some were solo, the better ones were with Clint. I hated to admit how nice it felt to have a best friend, two at that. Growing up, I obviously never had such a luxury, the Red Room never wanted me to get too close to anyone. Anytime I seemed to get attached to another victim, they would force me to fight them, so I could grow accustomed to learning hard truth of being a spy.

I was alone in my dorm when my mind flashed back to my childhood, never a good sign. I tried to distract myself but my thoughts were overwhelming. I remember killing several of my fellows trainees who tried to make friends with me before realizing what could happen. After the third fight, the girls ostracized me because I meant their death, and survival was everything to the Red Room.

I panicked as faces of innocent ones drained my mind, "please, please Natasha think about anything else," it was a wasted plea to myself, I was in too deep, and my past connects to every aspect of my life, when I start a connection it's to pull out.

I was hyperventilating, my knees were to my chest as trembled in the dark room. This didn't happen often, maybe during a nightmare or an exceptional horrid mission. You couldn't convince me that I was weak, a couple of panic attacks every once in a while was okay, it was fine, I was going to be fine, I was going to be fine.

I was lying to myself. Sweat was soaking my short hair, the shaking and breathing worsened. The taste of blood in my mouth courtesy of the mission I had just completed, did not help the panic that had ensued.

I was fearful, I was terrified this attack was worse than most. My breathing was sharp, quick, and unsteady. Clint. My palms were damp and hesitant. Clint. My mind raced of every bloody scene I've endured in my short life. Clint!

My heart slowed just a single pace when I reminded myself that Clint was due back tonight. I could call him, tell him to come to my room because I needed him. He's never seen me this lost, he wasn't supposed to see me like this. I saved him, not vice-versa. Of course, he still came, because he wasn't just my partner, he was my best friend.

Barton knocked on door just as my condition went from worst to code red, I was sobbing to myself, loudly. I didn't answer, I dug my face into my knees, ashamed of my behavior. I knew he would hear my sob, I knew he would force himself through the door, I knew his next move before he knew them.

Clint called my name, the name only he and Laura call me. I responded with a muffled cry, and not a beat later I heard my dorm lock being picked, ironically, it was faster to pick these cheap locks than use his spare key. He shoved the door open in a matter of moments. Everything had blurred and my awareness depleted, but I felt him whisper "Tasha" as softly as possibly before sitting next to my spot on the floor.

"Did someone do something to you because I swear right now I will kill them, I don't care who they are…" Clint's fist tightened, he agitated himself as he spoke, the people that hurt me weren't worth going after, I found no delight in the thought of having any connection to that organization. I needed comforting Clint, so I grabbed his hand without raising my head, and whispered his name in between sobs. I felt his eyes take in my condition fully.

"You aren't broken, Nat," he grabbed a blanket off my bed and wrapped it around my shoulders, "you healed, slowly and nervously, but you patched up your own wounds, I saw it for myself."

He lifted my chin gently, "don't hide from me," he whispered. I still couldn't speak, but I was beginning to relax, my shoulder dug its way into his shoulder, I allowed myself to cry on him, I'm not completely sure I've ever let myself do such a humiliating thing.

Clint rocked me like a toddler having a nightmare until the tears finally stopped, and my breathing normalized. I sat up, and attempted to look stronger. His eyes shifted away and he twirled his hands relentlessly, I couldn't help but put my focus on his growing frown.

"Guilt?" I carelessly thought aloud.

"I'm sorry Natasha, I should have been here sooner," he still didn't look up, "if I hadn't talked to Coulson for so long or went back to my dorm before coming to check on you, maybe it would have been…" his voice trailed off and I knew he wasn't talking to me anymore.

"Stop Clint, and stop calling me Natasha it sounds unusual," he didn't need comfort, I knew him better than that, he needed to feel useful and necessary. I put my hand on my stomach to subtly gesture that I was hungry. I didn't know how long the attack lasted, but it seemed to be well past a decent dinner hour. "I need to shower," I let him pull me up, neither of us switched the lights on as I strode to the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

A short twenty minutes later, I was leaving the bathroom in a clean pair of black leggings and an oversized SHIELD t-shirt. Clint had apparently just gotten back to room with a plate of a hot pasta dish I recognized from the cafeteria.

"It's like two in the morning, how was the cafeteria even serving food?" I stood over the plate, staring at him.

He smiled mischievously, "If anyone asks the cafeteria was closed and locked, and this," gesturing towards my plate, "doesn't exist"

A smiled, walked over to him for a hug, "welcome back, Agent Barton"

"Thank you, Agent Romanoff."

I forced Clint to stay up with me for about two hours, I demanded every detail of the family. The kids were growing up so fast and I hated missing out on watching them grow up.

Clint finally retreated to his dorm to sleep around four in the morning, this may have rose a few eyebrows to some but it didn't bother me. They weren't aware of the nature of our relationship, I could never have Clint in that way, it could only be compared to dating you're therapist. We certainly would both openly admit to caring, even loving each other, but not the kind of love that he and Laura had. It was the platonic relationship I needed, in the same way I don't need what Clint and Laura have but I need what I have with Clint and with Laura.

After Clint left, under the promise that I call him if anything happened, I put myself to bed to cure the deprivation. I wished I was in a place I was safe, happy, and home. I wished many things that early morning but overall I wished to be home soon.

 **Two Months before Battle of New York**

 **Clint's POV**

Phase two preparations were under way, Coulson often tied me down to a desk to complete the less exhilarating parts of being an agent, the paperwork. Tasha was completing a string of missions in Russia. They were smaller missions that were ultimately going to accomplish a larger task of retrieving information on the black market. As a result, SHIELD hardly flew her back to base for visits, they saw no need to bring her back to the US if her next mission began in a week and half. We would occasionally be able to talk via phone but even that was uncommon. I battled this feeling of loneliness, I hadn't seen my family in four months, and I was going insane. That night, however, I was treated with a rare treat. Moments after setting the phone down after talking with Laura, an unfamiliar number flashed on my screen knew what that meant.

Clint-Hello?

Nat- I've always meant to tell you that you have a weird phone voice.

Clint- Hi, Black Widow

Nat- Even on commlinks it sounds different.

Clint- Nat, what's wrong with you?

Nat- I'm sorry, I'm getting lonely

Clint- Same, I'm being exploited with desk work.

Nat- I'm being exploited for… well everything. This job doesn't seem to have an end and I'm weary of what of results it will actually have. What about you? Any exciting missions you're getting shipped off to do?

Clint- I'm leaving in about two weeks to overlook this doorway to space, mothership of all eco-friendly renewable energy cube project.

Nat- Sounds interesting, is this like the latest Tony Stark project.

Clint- Actually Stark's name didn't come up, kind of weird considering he's the only big name in that business.

Nat- I know, sounds suspicious, but then again it's SHIELD.

Clint- Exactly. So any wise words before I embark Miss Natasha.

Nat- Don't call me Natasha, if I let you shorten my name without me shortening your life, you better take advantage of it. And don't do anything stupid, better yet, anything that will make me call you stupid.

Clint- Alright Agent Romanoff, I will take your almighty wisdom to heart.

Nat- Good plan, Agent Barton.

Clint- And Tasha?

Nat- Yes?

Clint-Please stay safe.

Nat- Okay. Stay alive, Barton.

Clint- Goodbye I,'ll talk to you soon.

Nat- Bye, Clint.

Clint stared at the SHIELD issued secure phone. He smiled to himself, hearing her voice was the most comforting way to ensure she was alive, and that was all he needed to be sure of.

 **Sorry for the late update, this weekend didn't go completely as planned. Please let me know what you think. Also, if any of you have scene or prompt you'd like to see just let me know, I'm more than eager to try as many as I can. Thank you again!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone, just wanted to remind you how much I appreciate the reviews, follows, and favorites! Thank you!**

 **Natasha POV**

I slipped into my short black dress over my black tights, I wasn't nervous as some consider nervousness but for the first time in a couple months I saw an end to this Russian minefield of a mission, I was anxious as I saw tonight as the one obstacle keeping me from home. I tucked my heels into the black pumps and headed from the hotel, I needed Black Widow's confidence, the one that knows that tonight will be the night I get the information I need and can possible go home.

Home. I know Fury would have no choice but to give me a couple of days off after completing this. Clint would rush me into the passenger seat of a car and play his favorite 1980's hits, I would complain that his singing was terrible or the music was annoying and he'd just laugh because he understood the bigger picture. It was the trips to the farm that made us feel less and less like a pair of mindless assassins that kill when their told to kill without so much as an argument. For that car ride, we were decent humans and by the time we arrived we were anything except Hawkeye and Black Widow. As I arrived at this gala with Luchkov on, my arms I saw my motivation and determination, to get to the passenger seat ride with Clint Barton.

 **Clint POV**

The seemingly simple detail of watching scientists was becoming more complex at an extraordinary rate. I stared down at the lab as I've down for over a month now, I convinced myself that this haywire result couldn't be of fault of me. I knew exactly how many steps it took each scientist to get from the lab entrance to the cube, I even knew how every scientist took their coffee in the morning without having to speak to any of them!

If I wasn't allowed to wish myself to be somewhere else, I could only wish that Nat was here with me, watching these people scramble about, while she referred to me as an idiot incessantly. If Nat were assigned this with me I may have actually considered this detail as something more than just punishment for pissing off Fury one too many times. I'd sit on the rafters as I am now while she mingle and observe from actual interaction. Then she'd climb up to me when she'd finally admit to how bored she really was. Tasha would get restless easily from this detail, when Tasha gets restless she acts like child as I've learned not too long after meeting her. I tell her to sleep when she gets too childish, she complains while slowly nodding off and ends up asleep on my shoulder most times. We'd have fun, I concluded as I observe the conversation between Fury and Selvig. Moments later I was forced to come down to the floor and explain my own theory of this cube from all the intel I gathered.

There was a rumbling and flashes of lights. Shots were being fired then… my last thought was of Laura before everything changed.

 **Natasha's POV**

"Play dumb, play dumb, play dumber" I repeated to myself while "my date" lifted a tool from the table and unknowingly spilled his biggest secrets. Suddenly one the goons' phone rang, causing an awkward silence, well as awkward as an interrogation can get. The man looked at phone, confused. "Why is SHIELD calling?" I question to myself before he brings the phone to his ear. Sure enough, it was Coulson.

"This takes precedence," Coulson explained. No it doesn't! Months of work came down to tonight, months! I came to SHIED to quit being a puppet and now here I stood on the biggest night of my mission after being corralled from one spot to another. Coulson and I went back and forth for a bit, I was standing my ground.

"Look, you can't pull me out of this right now," Passenger seat, '80s music, Laura, the farm. I was staying strong.

"Natasha," That in itself was alarming, Coulson only used my first name when we talked about personal matters, he would never call me Natasha when addressing a new mission, "Barton's been compromised."

The words were plain and not at all hateful but I felt enraged. I only paused for a moment but it could have been a lifetime for all I cared.

My thoughts ran rapid in that single pause, "No, I've been comprised because unfortunately I care about this idiot. Did he do something heroically stupid? Will he be the same? Who can I kill for this? He has a family! Wait, his family they're uninvolved right, no one found out about their existence, right? Please Coulson just tell me anything else!" I was pleading on the inside, on the outside I spoke very little, "Let me put you on hold."

I couldn't rescue Clint at that moment, I had obstacles, and three of them were right in front of me. For a quick moment I pitied them, I knew my anger was about to come out on them.

 **Thank you for reading! I had this chapter written over a day ago but I didn't like the way it flowed so I kept editing it and removed the entire second half of the chapter. As a result, the next chapter will be up very soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again! Thank you for your continuous support! To BaDWolF89, I miss Laura and the kids too! I wish I could put them in every single chapter!**

 **Clint's POV**

I felt abnormally angry, I had questions to ask but I couldn't quite formulate them without feeling a foreign force in my mind. I thought about Tasha, something about saying her nickname bought an odd sense of comfort but I couldn't place any actually emotion to it.

We arrived at an underground lab where Selvig began setting up. Meanwhile, I saw Loki approaching me with a smile.

"Agent Barton, a pleasure to have you here," Loki spoke gleefully as he looked into my eyes. I gave him a curt nod, he clearly had more to say, "Agent Romanoff, that your partner is it not?"

"Yes, she is."

"Beautiful young lady, you must agree?" His smile grew.

"Tasha is very pretty," it was the truth I couldn't lie about it, even if I wanted to.

"Tasha? How did you come to start calling her that?"

"I've been calling her nicknames since I bought her in to SHIELD."

"You were the one to bring her into SHIELD? You two must be very close," Loki's smile didn't waiver.

"We are, there's only one other person I'm closer to," I suddenly felt alarms ringing in my mind, something was screaming, begging me not to say Laura's name. I couldn't place why but whatever it was, it desperate not to have me reveal that I'm married.

"And who might that be?" Loki asked.

Whatever force it was struggling inside me was not relenting so I gave in, "Coulson, my handler Natasha and I are both very close to him," the force relieved itself but I felt as if I had done wrong.

Loki paused as if thinking, suddenly his grin reached from ear to ear, "Very well, agent. Why don't you tell me more about your lovely partner Natasha?"

The force returned it felt weaker, as if it used up its energy with Laura. Although weak I could still manage to make out bits of anger, anger at Loki for saying Natasha's name to me. The force wanted me to walk away from him but I knew I needed to flush that force out.

 **Natasha's POV**

I walked towards Loki's cell, I could only hope that emotion wouldn't get in the way of this interrogation. I stepped quietly, around the glass prison and stood in front of the entrance, a few cautious meters away. It took a moment for him to notice me.

"There's not many people that can sneak up on me," his slight grin disturbed me.

"But you figured I'd come," I came for answers, I planned to retrieve them using every interrogation tactic I knew, this one being to never underestimate the target.

"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm, and I would cooperate." Not a far off conspiracy theory, respectably predictable however.

It was time to kill two birds with one stone, "I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton."

"I'd say I've expanded his mind," his eagerness threatened to falter my emotional disguise I was wearing.

Annoyed, I let it slip off a bit, "And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" I responded immediately, yet not before I truly analyzed the question. Of course it was love, maybe not the aspect of love he's referring to but I doubt anyone would challenge that we loved each other. Explaining this form of affection would counteract the image I was trying to form with him, so I repeated Black Widow's punchline.

"Love is for children, I owe him a debt." I was satisfied with that answer, he became suspiciously intrigued in my past forcing me to be honest. I didn't want to be a main character in this conversation but I had a mission to complete, not the Tesseract but the mission of returning a man to his family and best friend. The latter portion was a bit selfish on my behalf, but necessary to tame my sanity if losing Barton.

"… Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call," My mind was shipping off to a vent in a dingy motel room, the first time I heard someone defend me I think of me as something more than a tool or a body.

Loki cut the flashback short, "And what will you do if a vow to spare him?"

I released a scoff, surely he wasn't bargaining with me, "Not let you out…"

"Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?" His laugh was meant to insult my intelligence. I assumed Loki was unaware that it wasn't just for one man. It was for a wife who lives to see her husband return home with one more scar. It was for two small children who at this moment are missing the hugs and corny jokes of their father. It's for an assassin whose world constantly rocks and tumbles and she desperately needs an anchor to cling to. It's for the peaceful lives of those who will not be in peril or tragedy because Hawkeye will one day take down a human trafficking ring or terrorist attack that could have meant your life. Loki didn't consider these factors, enlightening him now wouldn't somehow soothe his anger, I needed to stick to my plan.

"It's really not that complicated. I've got red on my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."

And so it began, deepest forms of distressed I've caused, the highest forms of evil I've committed, exposed to the enemy. Loki ran though my short list without hesitation as if he'd been setting me up this whole time. He fumed at lifestyle in its entirety as if I chose this path for myself, in my mind I defended my choices to no avail.

The dramatic flair of his fist pounding the glass fazed me to my horror, "I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you slowly, intimately in every way he knows you fear! And when he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull! This is bargain you mewling quim!"

I turn my back to him fearfully and let out soft whimpers, hoping to convince him. Truthfully, I was more so attempting to convince myself that I was still acting, I was compromised but I wasn't willing to openly reveal such a downfall.

"Oh no, you bought the monster," I saw my moment to pull out of this interrogation on top, I brushed my hair from faced and turned.

"So Banner, that's your play?"

As I headed to the lab, I almost felt as if I achieved something. I didn't. Clint was still brainwashed and missing, nobody wins in this scenario. The world needs a hero, a wife needs her husband, and an agent needs her partner. It these fundamental truths that keep the world turning, then again there are more than one world. So whose rules are we playing by exactly?

 **I really wanted to include the next chapter with this but it just wouldn't have so I had to break them up again. Also you may have noticed that chapter 7 has been edited, I accidentally posted the pre-proofread version (don't ask) earlier. Anyways, thank you for your time, I appreciate it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey thank you everyone for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I really appreciate those who have reviewed multiple chapters: Niom Lamboise, Alex C, Ealasaid Una, and discordchick you guys have helped me out so much, thank you!**

 **Natasha's POV**

This so-called super team was nothing of the sort. They were all floating off the ground, they had no anchor. I suppose one could say I had no anchor, nothing to keep me from flying above reality and stabilized me.

Ironically, this thought was going through my mind as I crash landed onto the floor after an explosion ripped through the section of the helicarrier we were meeting at.

As the shards stopped raining over me I assessed the situation, my foot was stuck rather painfully under debris. Banner was next to me bathing heavily. Banner!

I reported to Fury over the comms that we were alright, everything changed so quickly. Banner was turning green, multiplying in size I watched as I struggled my foot to freedom. The Hulk was now in front of me, I freed myself but hesitated and peered into Banner's eyes.

To my disgust, I was terrified. I lived comfortably with the thought that I could defeat almost any human that threatened me. I prided my safety on feeling physically invincible. My great fear is losing, it's always been, ever since I could remember I hated losing. The Red Room taught me that losing was synonymous to death bought upon yourself. I couldn't beat the Hulk, I couldn't outsmart it, in the same way an ant can't outsmart a boot. This was truly my biggest fear.

I ran with that thought, I was too slow, too weak, and too small. Even crouching and hiding, in a moment of eerie calm, I couldn't help but find myself reviewing all the faces I would miss seeing, Fury's, Coulson's, even Agent Hill and I were considered close friends. Laura, Clint or my two darling tiny Barton's didn't come up. I couldn't face that thought, I couldn't think about not seeing them again. I function off of them, I can't die, I can't not be there with them, I need them.

The fight was one once again, I ran through a corridor believing that I could be faster, stronger, better. He advanced on me then lazily slapped me into a wall and I crumbled. Then I saw them. Clint talking to me in my dorm, Laura teaching me the basics of cooking on a late afternoon, and Cooper and Lila playfully tackling me in the backyard as we rolled around on the cooler fall morning. These were all different times, connected by one common factor. These were the moments that I knew I loved and cared for these people more than anything else, and I would give anything for them. I wasn't going to die. Before Thor rammed through the wall sent Hulk into a different section, I knew I couldn't die. I had to get Clint back to his family, because giving anything to this family meant giving their husband and father back. I couldn't die without doing that, first.

When Thor did relieve the Hulk from delivering the blow that would indeed kill me, the intensity of what had just occurred set in. I had no partner to watch my back physically or emotionally. I was doing this on my own, I almost died. I almost died? Those words came up so often but rarely did I take them seriously. I never felt as completely out of control in a fight as I just did. I began to panic. Oh, great.

The panic was deep-seated. It wasn't just the Hulk, it was Clint not being Clint and my life running way too fast way too personal. Everything these past few hours have hit untouched emotional trauma, that need of people that weren't there. As if on cue, Fury's voice came in rushed, I heard him clearly. I spoke up, I still had my mission to complete.

"This is agent Romanoff, I copy," my voice was lower than normally, obviously no one would notice.

I tracked down Barton, my heart broke when I saw him. I hadn't seen him in about three months, or maybe it was four. My emotions were running because of what was about to happen. I had confidence I could beat Barton, I did it all the time when we sparred, but I was rewriting my worst fear from earlier today. As I dropped down behind him, I knew that this would hurt far more than anything the Hulk could do to me.

Barton swung his bow around to aim at me, I grabbed it and turned it. He treated me to an elbow jab and swung his bow at me at which I returned with a kick, and then another. My mind was blank for a bit, I couldn't quite process what was taking place, Barton being one of my targets. He followed me as I switched platforms then swung his bow at me a second time. So, it appeared he wasn't trying to fight me off enough to escape, he was out for blood. That became increasingly evident when he pulled a knife.

"Dirty move, Barton," I thought to myself before he launched himself at me. When he attempted to punched me I grabbed his fist, kicked his torso before I strained his arm behind him.

"It's a good thing I play dirtier," there was something sickening about these witty thoughts when the target was one of my only genuine friends. However, there wasn't such time to dwell on that while I dodged a knife from scarring my face.

His blade became a larger issue as he tried to push towards my neck. I knew I couldn't lose this fight, not for me, for Clint. I couldn't comprehend what it'll do to him to wake from Loki's control and recall slicing my throat. He couldn't forgive that, he couldn't move on from that. So I had to fight for the both of us.

In an effort to restrain my movement, he pulled my hair so I bit his arm. This was becoming a fight between school children. Nevertheless, he lost control of the knife and gave me the upper hand. I flipped out of grasp and I used his arm to guide his head into a metal bar. His yelp from pain stabbed me as he struggled to sit up.

"Tasha?"

He said my name. Barton said my name with those icy blue eyes. Loki. Loki said my name, that angered me. Barton's body, Loki's mind. I loved Clint enough to do what I did next. The punch left him knocked out like a drunk. I stared wondering how I was going get past this.

Reality had other plans. I realized this when Fury's voice came over the comms once again. Coulson. I leaned against the railing and felt the sting of bruises on my back from the Hulk, I saw guards drag Clint's lifeless body away, and suddenly the world was turning over and over. Every fear, every worst scenario would quiver at the chaos aboard the helicarrier.

I forced myself to walk, not sure where yet. I needed to cry or scream or simply panic but I didn't want to do it alone. Clint taught me that whenever I felt the way I feel right now, I had to talk to him. That wasn't an option, but I did have a replacement.

I stole a SHIELD secure phone, and found an empty closet. I sat on the floor amongst the cleaning supplies and pitch darkness. Then the hysteria began, I cried painfully loud as I tried to see the keypad so I could dial the number.

"Hello?" a soft voice answered. It only made me sob heavier. "Who is this?" the voice wasn't harsh but concerned.

"Laura," I choked, "Laura," I couldn't find any words.

"Nat, is that you?" I could hear footsteps, probably rushing into a secluded area, "Nat, where's Clint?"

Of course, I'd only make this call if Clint were in dire straits, I suddenly felt selfish she probably believes her husband is dead. "Its-its… Clint will be fine. Coulson is- he's-" I started gasping for air. "Laura I have no one."

"Tasha, I need you to stop talking and listen to me," she shifted to urgent and authoritative, "whatever happens, you have me. If Clint isn't there and the sky is falling, you'll have me."

I sobbed and caught my breath. She continued, "Nat, I know it feels impossibly heavy right now, just know that I here to help you carry it, you're not alone, you have a partner."

My break down, was easing its control over me I felt like I could form complete sentences once again. "Laura, I just faced every worst nightmare in one morning." I sounded far away from reality.

"Sweetie, remember that everyone wakes up from a nightmare, no matter how real it feels, we wake up and we heal."

I calmed down, I felt rested. "Laura?"

"Yes?"

"I'm coming home, I'm coming home soon."

"You've been dearly missed Tasha. And Nat?" she sighed, "bring my husband with you."

"Okay," I whispered before hanging up. I stood up I stepped outside of the closet and leaned against the door clutching the phone to my chest. I closed eyes and steadied myself before walking towards the room Clint was being held, it was time to be strong for someone else.

 **Alright, that was a bit angsty. Let me know how you feel about it, please. Thank you everyone.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everyone! Just reminding you what a big thanks I owe to everyone supporting this! And if you want to see any specific prompt or plot in a chapter please let me know, I love your suggestions and feedback.**

 **Natasha POV**

Clint struggled for the better part of a half hour. Straining, whimpering, and following Loki's speech patterns. His limited communication was so uncharacteristic I feared what type of damage might be left once he wakes.

I listened intently to what he mumbled, during most parts he seemed to be reliving the events that took place while he was under Loki's control, except this time he was Clint-minded observer. The pleas and anger had no order, and proved difficult to keep up with. I was able to piece together nearly everything he said within that half an hour into full sentences:

"Don't you say it, don't say her name. You are not married, you are not!"

"Tasha? Where is she? You can't…"

"I kissed her once, just once. To save her."

"You can't break her, she's the Black Widow"

"… then she'll break like glass"

"Nat! Nat! No! Please don't!"

"I don't care about most people, but I care about them."

He spent the next ten minutes panicking and arguing for someone to stop hurting "them" or not to touch "her". I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to react, he'd obviously spent a generous portion of his time talking about me, our missions, and my personality.

He stopped talking and groaned in pain. He began sweating and flexing his muscles, he was waking up.

"Clint. You're going to be alright," even I couldn't recognize own my voice.

"You know that? Is that what you know?" Hearing Clint speak for Loki made me sick. Thankfully, he was transforming away from the mind control. "I-I've got no window, I've got to flush him out."

"We don't have that long, it's going to take time." I stood up to pour him some water. He started speaking again, he began to focus his eyes on me, he looked terrified. I hated looking at his fear, we both hid our frights inside and it was somewhat beneficial to have an overly calm partner when life went sour. To see him actually look afraid was uneasy.

"…Do you know what's it's like to be unmade?" I paused, and looked at him.

"You know that I do."

"Why am I back, how did you get him out"

"Cognitive recalibration," I sat on his cot and gave him a small smile, "I hit you really hard on the head."

"Thanks." There was a small flicker of Clint and Natasha, the real ones. The best friends, the smiling and laughing partnership they both valued.

I began unfastening his restraints when he asked me how many how may agents he had…

I cut him off," Don't. Don't do that yourself, Clint." I meant those words or more ways than one. I wasn't sure to what degree he remembers what took place the past days. He didn't seem to remember our fight, or telling Loki my secrets. Maybe he did, maybe he's hoping that I didn't know about his confession session with Loki. I was sure it would come up again.

"… If I put an arrow in Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose," another flicker of who we really are.

"Now you sound like you," I offered him a small smile.

"But you don't. You're a spy not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?"

"He didn't, I just…" I couldn't describe a pain of losing him, my past being placed in front of me, or grief that accompanied Coulson.

"Tasha?" We were sitting close together and his voice didn't go above a whisper.

"I've been comprised. I've got red on my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out." I stared at him for a long while. I knew I stalling, I had to tell him.

"Clint," I whispered, "how much do you remember?"

He didn't look at me, "I remember going over the plan, and shooting some arrows but everything else is sort of blurry. Nat, did I do something?"

His eyes were now on me, "Loki. Loki he…" I felt tear welling up, "Clint its Coulson."

I surprised to see no immediate reaction, but then I remembered it was a spy I was talking to, emotionless whenever preferred. He had to be bottling up so many emotions at the moment.

We were both so close to Coulson, Clint especially. I wasn't certain on the details of how Clint joined SHIELD but I knew Coulson had played a huge role in turning him into Hawkeye.

 **Clint POV**

I went numb. I wanted revenge, I wanted to be angry at the world, at life. Even Nat doesn't know much about me before Hawkeye.

 _Flashback_

" _Barton." The man in front of me spoke like businessman conducting a meeting, "Do you know why you're here?"_

 _I sat in a classic interrogation room, my head bowed in shame. I decided to speak for the first time that day, "Can I see her yet?" My voice was practically a mumble._

 _The man paused, then left the room heaving a sigh. He returned a few minutes later with Laura, she was only eighteen at the time._

" _Barton, do you know why you're here?" Coulson repeated._

 _I hadn't taken my eyes off Laura, who looked scared and puzzled._

" _Clint?" She whispered, there was a catch in her throat._

 _I wanted to envelope her in hug and pray that she wouldn't leave me. I knew she was going to, I might as well tell the entire truth. My eyes shifted to Coulson, "I'll tell you everything you want to know, as long as you promise to let her go," I gestured in Laura's direction, "she's got nothing to do with it."_

" _She's free to go, as long as your story adds up we won't-"_

" _It will add up." I looked in eyes firmly._

" _Alright then." Coulson turned to Laura, "Miss, if you'd please step outside Maria can-"_

" _No, she deserves to hear this too," my eyes refused to look anywhere except the table._

 _Coulson took a seat across from me while Laura stood looking slightly lost, "I was a runaway, I did what I had to survive. People, gangs, businesses all hired me to take care of the dirtier jobs. I was good at freelancing and 'making accidents' and disappearances. When they asked me to take out… him… I didn't know it was part of a bigger plan."_

" _Do you know who asked you to kill Nick Fury?"_

" _I don't do names in this business, just upfront cash and a target."_

" _How did you not know that Fury was a government agent or the president of the Strategic Homeland Intelligence, Enforcement, and Logistics Division?"_

 _I shook my head, "All the information I found on Fury was either blacked out or outdated, I tried to hack into government files to see why so much wasn't included but there were an unheard of amount of firewalls protecting his name. I was trying to get through them all but the client became restless, so I went in without enough knowledge on who he was."_

 _Coulson nodded slowly before picking up a file, Laura and I both looked shocked to see to the front of the file labeled:_ _ **BARTON, CLINT.**_ _Coulson opened the file and began, "Name: Clint Barton. Gender: Male. Age: Nineteen. Hair Color: Brown. Eye Color…." He drowned on about the smallest details of me. After a half a minute he paused and chuckled, "Choice of weapon: Bow and arrow, we'll discuss that part later," he said, smiling._

" _How do you know that much about him?" Laura piped up for the first time._

" _He's been making a name for himself since he was seventeen, anyone that does what Barton does, ends up as a SHIELD file. It's sort of what we're known for here," Coulson stood up and smoothed out his crisp suit, "Now, Barton you're going to stay with us for a bit. Laura you're free to go, although I recommend calling a parent," Laura flinched, "or staying under SHIELD surveillance for a bit, for obvious reasons."_

 _I stared at Laura for nearly a minute before she spoke up, "Phil, could you please give us a moment?" He nodded and left._

 _As soon as the door shut Laura took a seat and spoke rapidly, "Clint I can't go back to my parents' house, I can't. They raided our apartment. I don't know how long they'll keep you here, what about jail time? I can't do this, Clint," she was nervously jumping from one topic to the next._

" _I know, I know. I was scared to tell you all of this. I didn't want you involved but I didn't how to get out," he looked into her eyes, "I didn't want to lose you but… it seems to have happened anyways."_

 _Laura shifted in her seat, "I'm not breaking up with you."_

 _I was genuinely perplexed, "You aren't?"_

" _No, I mean… I don't know," she abruptly stood up and ran a hand through her hair, "I believe you're still you're the same Clint Barton I love but, god this is a lot to process. We both have messy pasts, but this is a messier present day thing." She paused searching for the right words, "I need to figure who you are and if I can with that live with that."_

 _I nodded in agreement, I couldn't lose this compassion, I couldn't lose her. "The farm, my parent's farmhouse I told you about. Go live there. Nobody knows about it, it's safe and secluded and you can take time to decide what you want, the house is yours."_

 _Laura's eyes widened, "You're giving me a house?"_

 _Before she could respond, there was a knock on the door and Coulson let himself in, "Has everything been settled?"_

 _We didn't respond, we stared at each other again. Coulson cleared his throat, "if I could interject, Laura I'd be willing to cover your living expenses at the farmhouse for a few months so you could situate yourself."_

 _Laura didn't take her eyes off me, I glared at Coulson, "You could have stayed in the room if you were going to listen anyways."_

 _Coulson laughed but Laura spoke first, "Okay, I'll go." She walked around to my side of the table, she hadn't taken her eyes off me yet. She put a soft hand on my cheek and leaned down. She kissed me briefly but passionately._

 _When our lips parted I whispered, "I'll be better."_

" _I'll be waiting," she pecked my cheek and spin around and left. Coulson caught her arm and handed her a silver credit card._

" _I monitor every expense with this card, so don't do anything illegal." He broke into a smile at that last part._

 _She was gone, I wouldn't see her again for quite some time, but I would see her again, nonetheless._

 _The next day, Coulson officially offered me a position at SHIELD, with the hopes that I one day become a field agent._

" _We've seen you action, Barton. We know skills with hand to hand combat and as a sniper. You could be valuable."_

 _I sat in my holding cell, dumbfounded at the change in his voice since the interrogation room, "Why does SHIELD want me?"_

" _I never said they did, this offer still stands, gives you a chance to work for the good guys."_

 _I scoffed, "The good guys? I didn't think there's a right and wrong in this business?"_

" _Maybe there isn't. But if there is, SHIELD would be the good guys I assure you."_

" _And how are you so sure?"_

" _Have any of the 'bad guys' offered to sustain your maybe girlfriend out of their own pocket?"_

 _Flashback End_

"I need to get cleaned up," I left my spot next to Tasha.

"Clint, wait," she grabbed my arm, "you'll talk to me, right?" her eyes pleaded with me desperately.

"Of course," I knew what she needed, she'd never admit it but that was okay. I wrapped my arms tightly around her and I felt her melt, or break apart I couldn't tell the difference. She let go first, but I could tell it was Black Widow that was pushing me away. What happened to her?

 **Whoa, that quite a bit of foreshadowing in one chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again! Thank you to my new followers! A big thank you to all those who are reading and to my reviewers!**

 **Clint's POV**

Natasha and I were gearing up, readying ourselves for the impending battle. We were fighting for our fallen friend and for the return of our state of mind. Neither Natasha nor I fought solely for ourselves, we fought to achieve someone's agenda, it's just the way it's always been.

In the quinjet, en route to New York, my heart was softened because of one sentence Natasha spoke to me.

"You know you're an idiot, right?" She gave me quick, almost sad smile but the sarcasm and degradation were definitely there.

I had no choice but to smile at the Natasha I knew, "Yes, yes I do Tasha"

As we entered into the city airspace Nat relayed our location to Stark.

"What, did you stop for drive thru?" Stark retorted. She didn't get a chance for the witty response I knew she was considering.

We were officially in battle, we could only hope to see each other once again.

 **Natasha's POV**

His voice provided assurance, we were fighting but more importantly we were surviving.

Down on the street, I eliminated enemy after enemy with the convenience of the spear an alien not-so-kindly gifted to me. I exchanged between guns and spears, along with any other sort of weapon I could get my hands on. For a brief few minutes I had the pleasure of fighting alongside Barton, everything felt normal. I covered him while he freed a bus of civilians then returned back at my side.

"This is just like Budapest all over again!" Besides the amped up excitement of this battle, it actually had few similarities to Budapest. I said it almost as a reminder of who were, and what we've been through. I wanted to encourage him and uplift him after all he'd just come to terms with death.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently," Clint retorted without a smile. He clearly couldn't look past all the scolding he received in Budapest. He didn't look at my statement for any sort of deeper meaning. I felt foolish for believing that one sentence would somehow have a mysterious calming effect on him. At the same time, his stubborn response warmed me. It was a Clint response, one only he would think of and it solidified that he was okay. For now.

When Bruce arrived, we assembled and became a team. I stayed on the ground with Steve while Clint nested far above me.

At any given moment I would look up and see the exhaustion of my teammates verses the consistent stream of alien soldiers pouring from the sky. We needed a real solution, we were trying to use Band-Aids to cover a bullet wound, and it just wouldn't do.

When I saw Cap, looking less like a super, I informed him that we weren't progressing.

"You're going to need a ride."

I could feel Hawkeye's idiocy rubbing off on me as I looked over my head, "I've got ride."

I backed up, while Steve asked if I sure about this. I almost wanted to laugh at this notion, it was like he was assuming I knew what the outcome would be of this idea. "Yeah, it'll be fun."

It was fun, I'll never deny that. The rush and relief of actually grabbing hold of one of these oversized flying scooters was nearly worth taking my life into my hands. Stark proved helpful as he removed some Chitauri from my tail. Loki, however, seemed to show up at the most impromptu time. I didn't have any real defenses at the moment, I needed a partner.

"Hey Hawkeye!"

"Nat, what are you doing?" Clint's worry would lead to a future lecture about taking better care of myself.

"Uh, a little help!"

"I've got you." He was Clint, of course he did. Through the comms I could hear the release of the arrow. I was nearing the tower when-

"Did Loki just catch the arrow?" I thought to myself, before I was able to actually ask aloud I heard the explosion the behind and I realized what had just happened. I felt like applauding Barton.

I landed on the tower and made my way to the terrace where I found a disturbed . I made a pathetic attempt at comfort.

"It wasn't your fault you didn't know what you were doing."

"Well, actually I think I did. I built in a safety to cut the power source."

"Loki's scepter." I headed down to retrieve it. I wondered how Selvig remembered his actions while controlled. How much did Clint know, was there something he wasn't telling me?

From where I grabbed the scepter I had clear sight of my teammates, namely, Barton. I paused and took note of his dire situation several buildings away. He was using his bow to help fight off some soldiers. That obviously meant he was put of arrows. There were more aliens advancing on his location, Barton always had a trick up his sleeve, he couldn't disappointment me now. And he didn't. With all the dramatics I would expect from Barton he used a stray arrow to swing into the building. The pain he must be in wasn't sitting well with me.

By the time I made it back up to Selvig he was back on his feet peering at his laptop. He gestured for me to puncture the force field. I reported to the Avengers I could close the portal, but Stark stopped me.

All eyes were on Iron Man as he flew into space with a nuke on his back. I heard myself subconsciously wishing he'd make it through before Cap gave me the order to close the hole.

When he did give the command I didn't hesitate to close the sky. There was an overwhelming rush of relief when Tony was spotted. We had won, this crazy plan worked and we accomplished something.

Back in the tower, we reassembled to handle one last matter. I waited anxiously for my partner's arrival. He had to be alive, there was just no other to it. When I saw him I dropped protocol, I even forgot about the Black Widow. I fell into his arms, breaking. We made it.

Loki awoke to a sight even I would consider terrifying.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

SHEILD agents suddenly flooded the living room meanwhile, Hulk began shrinking from exhaustion. We backed away, Clint didn't take his hateful stare away from the villain.

"Alright avengers, food!" Stark directed us towards the exit. I guess that meant we were one of them.

We entered into elevator, Clint still looking back to Loki, now detained and surrounded by agents. I put my hand on his shoulder and wheeled his attention to me. We looked at each, there was no emotion just two assassins that had an exceptionally bad day. If I strained I could still hear the mindless conversation the guys were having, but I settled for blissful ignorance.

Our arrival at the Sharma was met with dumbfounded silence by the employees. We all simply gathered at the largest in tact table.

"We should leave a decent donation toward repairs," Steve insisted. We all nodded in agreement, no one had enough energy to oppose. Except Stark.

"We saved the city, doesn't that count for anything?" I didn't feel like reprimanding his attitude, especially since I knew Steve would rebuke him. They argued about the definition of a decent donation until our food was served. Stark handed the woman a fistful of cash, apparently he'd lost whatever argument he and Cap had. Or possibly he was just being gracious.

I let myself be distracted by my opinions of my teammates while the one that really mattered was sitting next to me. I turned to look at him and he smiled at me. He put his foot on my chair, and playfully tapped my lower back with his shoe. I smiled back, he always made a joke that I sat on the edge of seat.

There was a comfortable silence. We were alright, we were just fine.

 **So I am begrudgingly including this chapter. I really didn't think I could write this scene to fit justly and I think it doesn't work with my theme. Either way I couldn't not include it so there it is. On a different note, if you have any prompts now would be an excellent time to inform me! Until I get to the events of CA:TWS were going to have Laura, the kids, the farm, and Strike Team: Delta missions! So please let me know if there's something you'd like to see in between. Thank you so very much:**


	12. Chapter 12

**Just a big thank you to all of you! All flashbacks are** _ **italicized.**_

 **Natasha POV**

"Pack your bags, we're going." Clint burst into my dorm on the helicarrier. We hadn't seen each other much since we arrived from the restaurant yesterday. Clint had been under numerous psychological test from the moment he arrived. I was welcomed to stay in the waiting room to keep him company in between tests but he had urged me to go get some rest.

"Clint it's nearly midnight, where exactly are we going?" I gave him a questioning look. He grinned back childishly but broke when he looked at what I was holding in my lap.

"What you got there, Nat?" I looked down at the homemade weaving loom and tugged at the yarn a bit.

I shrugged without looking up, "I'm weaving a quilt for Lila." He quickly shut door and took a step into the dorm. He moved closer to my spot on the bed staring at the quick movements my hands were making.

"Nat, are you feeling alright?" He didn't take a seat next to me, he simply crouched down and looked up to see my face that hadn't shifted from my weaving.

I sighed then released the anger I had towards Barton for a day now. I knew he could mask every single emotion to pass an evaluation but was he seriously going to bottle everything up. I was frustrated, I felt weak and compromised because I was actually admitting to grief. But, Clint? No, he could fake a smile, fake his sanity, fake everything! It wasn't a competition, but if it was I should be the one winning, I was the Black Widow! I knew he was crumbling from Coulson's death and a pang a guilt ruptured in me that I couldn't help Clint because he wouldn't let me.

"No, I'm not okay," I tossed the loom aside, "I don't do crafts Barton! You should know that!"

Clint wasn't fazed by the outburst, he put a hand my knee and whispered, "Tasha, what can I do to help?"

That was the last straw, I gave a death glare. I saw a flash of fear in him. I stood up and shoved his shoulders so that he lost balance from the crouched position he was in.

"Help?" I retorted, "You can't bring back one of my only friends, Clint! But you could at least try to act like you cared about him!" My voice was hinted with a Russian accent.

Clint, who was back on his feet glared at me, a look usually reserved for one of his targets. I didn't fight when he grabbed me by my shoulders and pinned me to the wall. He did it with a bit of force but definitely not enough to cause any pain.

"You don't think I care Natasha! You honestly think I'm that I'm hiding emotions just to make you look weak!" Clint raising he voice at me triggered a flight or fight response. I felt tears in my eyes and I had no interest in reliving yesterday morning's breakdown.

In determining whether to fight or flight, I did both. Pushed him off of me and sent his back to the opposite wall just a few feet away. I walked a few feet gearing to punch his jaw when I couldn't. I ran from the room and ran down the hall.

 **Clint's POV**

"But you could at least try to act like you cared about him!" It stung painfully. Hearing those words come from Natasha hurt every fiber of my body. Then the anger started the burning sensation of fury towards the woman in front of me. I had her pinned to wall, I didn't use excessive force because she hardly objected the motion.

I yelled at Tasha. With no forethought of what position she is in. I let my anger at everything else that occurred the past few days boil over and release it on my friend. Over where I had her on wall she flashed a pitiful look similar to the one she occasionally offered me when she first got to SHIELD.

She easily was able to push me into the wall and I readied myself for hit she about to deliver. I looked at her face contort. I could recognize that face anywhere. It only happened once before.

" _I put faith in you Widow, please don't disappoint me," I spoke to her directly and firmly. I was using a technique that most would consider suicidal._

 _When Fury told me that he was holding me responsible for gathering some vital information about her past, he didn't specify in which way to do it. Hence, why I removed the restraints her hands were bonded to and removed her from the small interrogation room she'd been cooped up in for about fifteen hours. I took her to my dorm but left the door open because although trusting I wasn't crazy. I'd even taken it upon himself to order a pizza before I bought her in._

 _To my dismay she didn't touch the food in front of her. "You think you're a hero for forcing one assassin to join your side." She didn't say it harshly or even as a question, she reported it as a fact. Her voice was particularly robotic from her masking her Russian accent._

" _I think that I saved you from imminent death." Before I completed my statement I knew and she knew I was lying, we both were aware of what happened in that trashy Budapest motel. Generously, she played along._

" _Arrogance," once again it wasn't a thought or question, it was a fact in her eyes._

" _You barely know me, give me some credit, Natalia." Her eyes went dark and I instantly removed the smirk I had plastered on._

" _What did you call me?" I heard her natural accent slipping through._

" _Natalia," I repeated looking for any immediate reaction, "your name, Natalia."_

 _She gave me a blank stare, she was shutting her emotions down. I knew this meant that she'd remain quiet for the rest of the evening. I needed her to fight it, I needed to continue my questions before I gave any of the higher ups a reason to discard of her._

" _Widow? Stay with me alright, I just need you to answer a few questions. Then you can head to your room and I will finish off that slice of pizza I so gratefully bought for you." I hoped that by being deliberately arrogant she might be inspired to counter me with an insult._

" _What's the first one?" the American accent was back in full force._

 _I sighed, she was gone for the day no more emotion not even an inkling of who she was when she looked up to my eyes in that motel room just a few nights previous. "Where were you trained?"_

 _A nearly silent gasp escaped her._

" _Natalia?"_

 _Her face contorted to one of disgust and a pinch of fear. Her breathing became labored as she screwed her eyes shut and sealed her lips together. I wasn't sure what to do so I repeated her name with more volume._

" _Natalia!"_

 _Her eyes flew open. I noticed she was sweating and swaying slightly. She looked straight at me, quickly she growled something in Russian. It was nearly a mumble, my Russian was a bit rusty and whatever she'd said was too quiet and too fast for me to discern._

" _What?" I asked, I couldn't piece together what was happening. She only repeated the statement again this time the clarity was even farther off._

 _Her breathing didn't improve neither did the foreign language she was using every few seconds to say a phrase or two. I realized she was stuck in her past. I stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder._

" _Don't touch me!"_

 _I nodded and removed my hand, "English. Great, I know that one pretty well. Do you know where you are at?" I refused to call her by any name at the moment fearful on how she may react._

" _Yes, I do." She stated with an uncomfortable calmness to her then walked out of dorm. Officially I was supposed to escort her from room to room but that didn't seem wise to follow._

I couldn't believe I would just let her go those many years back. Not this time.

I shuffled to the doorway that she had fled from just seconds ago. A few agents were crowding the area just outside the doorway, probably alarmed by hearing my shouts. I pushed passed them and ignored their calling after me. I saw Tasha run through a turn at the end of the corridor leaving my line of sight.

 **Natasha POV**

I was smaller and weaker. The halls were dark but the screams were still echoing. It was a live horror film. I noticed I was barefoot and wearing only a nightgown, I suppressed the urge to scream aloud. I wasn't sure if this was a flashback or not.

The screams were becoming more prevalent, at first I just covered my hands over my ears and continued running. Then I hesitated, unsure of where this long hallway leads to, then footsteps. Footsteps. I shuffled back and forth not knowing whether to flea closer to the screams or launch myself in the direction of the footsteps.

"Romanova," the voice sounded far away, "Romanova, Romanova!"

"Romanoff!" the nightmare ended. I was standing in an unfamiliar section of the rooming wing of the helicarrier. I turned to see the source of the firm voice that pulled me from the past. Steve Rogers.

"Romanoff," he spoke much more softly, "are you alright, agent?" I looked around trying to see exactly where I was before I turned my attention to Cap.

"I'm just fine," I said casually. He studied me for a moment before glancing down the hall, he was standing in the doorway of a temporary dorm leaning against the frame.

"Any particular reason you were running down the hall with your ears covered?"

I couldn't break my façade, at the same time I didn't have a proper answer. I gave him questioningly dark smirk, "You're not judging, are you Rogers?" I crossed my arms and raised a single eyebrow hoping it was enough to intimidate him.

"Of course not ma'am," I knew my reputation with him wasn't faltering I was still the Black Widow, "I thought it would be appropriate to offer you some water, seeing as your sweating."

I hadn't even noticed the sweat, "Why not, Rogers," I shrugged and followed him into to the room and took a seat on the arm chair. He handed a paper cup of water and took a seat on the bed. These dorms were incredibly small and he was only a few feet away. I noticed he seemed to be dressed to go somewhere even though it must have been about midnight.

"Running off somewhere, Captain?"

He raised his eyebrows, "We're leaving in a half hour, right Romanoff?" I unsuccessfully tried to hide the confusion his question elicited. "Didn't Barton tell you?"

I remembered the original reason Clint came to my room, "No he didn't get a chance to."

"Oh," he searched my face looking for understanding, "well Fury's sending us to the New York SHIELD base, that's where Loki is being held. Thor is with him and Stark, obviously is at his tower in the city."

"Who's us?" I gulped down the rest of my water.

"Well you, Clint, Banner, and Selvig are still aboard the ship so just them plus me," he smiled at me, "where going to going oversee Loki's sendoff tomorrow morning."

"Then what happens?" I could hear the eager curiosity in my voice.

"Well, I guess you'll have to report back to Fury and decide how you want spend the next few days."

I rolled my eyes, "I meant you, Rogers. What happens to you?"

"Oh, well not entirely sure yet I guess I'll be somewhere around the city."

"Do me a favor? Actually do yourself a favor, put an honest effort in learning about the world, Cap. It'll save you from a lot of Tony's jabs." I leaned forward, "Try Gone with the Wind, a friend showed it to me, excellent movie."

"Tasha, Gone with the Wind was released in 1940, I think he's seen it." Steve and I both were startled to see Clint smirking in the doorway, "Do you even know any movies that have been released in the past fifteen years?"

Steve sat in amazement that Agent Barton was able to sneak up on him. I smiled and waved my hand, "well then I'd go for The Sound of Music, one of my friend's absolute favorite," Clint and I shared a smile, both well aware of which friend I was referring to. "Well Steve, I better be going. Wouldn't want to hold the rest of you up."

Rogers finally focused back on me, "The Sound of Music, looking forward to it Tasha." Clint and I both froze for a moment. Barton took a threatening step towards Rogers. I burst out laughing, then put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't call me Tasha," I was smiling but all could see the seriousness I had. He nodded slowly, completely mystified at my partner's and I interactions with each other.

I passed by Clint who was now sizing up Rogers, when I reached the doorway and gestured for Clint to follow me. His anger subsided, "We'll see you in a bit, Steve" Clint gave him a half forced smile before turning to leave.

" _Natasha" I said, "You may call me Natasha."_

" _Do you even sleep? It's like four in the morning! Did you really have to come banging on my door to tell me that?"_

 _I backed up from his door and awkwardly turned to go._

" _Wait," he tugged my arm gently, beckoning my attention, "I'm sorry, for everything. Does that happen often?" He was referring to the flashback I had in his room over dinner a few hours back._

" _No, just this once," I felt less confident and spoke in a whisper. I began turning to leave again._

" _Hey Nat, why don't we not mention last night to Fury?" He always tried so hard to lift me out of poor moods with humor._

" _You may not call me Nat." I was satisfied from his shock expression of my overly alert attitude change. The shock was soon replaced with a goofy grin._

" _How about Tasha?"_

" _Over my dead body," I spat out strutted away._

We walked back towards my room in silence. Clint lead since I wasn't sure exactly how many turns I took during the flashback. We when reached my room he didn't pause to follow me inside and shut the door behind.

"Tasha, I am so unbelievably sorry. I'm sorry I made you revisit you past and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I know this so much for to handle."

I looked up from the small bag I was stuffing with my basics, "Clint, I'm handling myself. You're the one that won't let me help you."

"Nat, I just I don't know right now. I know this hurts me but I can't come to terms with it." Clint looked like he was fighting tears. I walked over to him to pull him into a comforting hug, he buried his face and let a slight sob escape.

"It's alright Clint, its fine." I rocked him a bit and let him interpret my words. We stayed like that for a minute or two before he released me. He gave me a sad smile in which I replied with a squeeze to his arm.

"We should be going," Clint shifted the subjected," All ready to go, Tasha?" I smiled and nodded.

 _I stirred in my sleep, I didn't feel comfortable. I knew my surroundings were different and my eyelids felt too heavy. I forced them open. A hospital bed._

" _Tasha?" I forced myself to turn my head to see who else was in the room. Barton, obviously. "Tasha?"_

 _He tugged at my hand and I pulled it out of his grasp. I started to remember being in a park after dark just wanting some air. I had been at SHIELD for a month and there were times when I liked to leave simply because I could, I had free will._

" _I remember a saw a man in the distant with a gun, when I noticed him it was already too late," I thought aloud and felt my body for injuries, there were several._

" _It's alright, looks like some other assassins had some interest in you. You pulled through as always."_

" _Are we going after them?" My throat felt raspy, Barton must have heard it too because he pushed a cup of water in my direction._

" _Relax there Tasha, I promise you we hunted them down as soon as we found out your body was in distress."_

" _You aren't allowed to call me Tasha," my voice found some reserved energy to glare at the archer._

" _Technically, you were pronounced dead for three minutes. 'Over my dead body', I think that gave me clearance."_

" _It did not," I glared back._

" _Tasha, I think you're going to like your new nickname." I couldn't resist the giddiness in his eyes my lips curved into a small smile._

 **There you have it folks! Please let me know what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you for reading this far everyone!**

 **Clint's POV**

The quinjet boiled in tension and awkwardness. I piloted with Natasha next to me, the remaining lounged behind us.

Upon entering the craft, I observed Natasha purposely avoid Banner. Steve, on the other hand, observed Tasha and I, he was still attempting to deduce our relationship. We were the only two on the team with a deep history our and our level of friendship surpassed every friendship he possessed at the moment.

As I caught Steve staring at the cockpit yet again, I decided to toy with his sanity a bit. I caught Nat's eye and winked and quickly looked in Roger's direction and back at her. She smirked and raised an eyebrow, she was in.

"Tasha, what time is it?" I said staring ahead.

"Time for your puppy to hit the moon, Francis." We burst out laughing. We now had the attention of the doctors as well.

"You make fun but let's be honest, you were the one cleaning glitter off your skin for a week" I jabbed her in the stomach. She chuckled to herself before looking seriously at me.

"Hey, you know what?" She paused, I interjected.

"You're hungry," I kept my eyes forward, if I'd turn my head to see the expressions on our passengers faces I'd probably break character.

"Yeah," she whined, "but I can't figure out what I want to eat."

I met her eyes briefly, she raised an eyebrow encouraging me to continue, "You want a chicken sandwich lettuce with no tomato, and a lemonade. Obviously."

"Mhm, that sounds perfect, thanks." I stifled a laugh, "Oh, by the way, don't forget you have your yearly physical next Friday. Don't be late, or Dr. Killer will murder me." Natasha used an unfamiliar accent for the last part some cross between Australian and caveman. Once again we both howled in laughter. It was unfortunate we were nearing the New York base. Our three observers were murmuring to each other in mystery and Natasha and I could hardly contain ourselves.

When we arrived at the base, we all went our separate ways. It was only a few hours until daylight and I hoped to catch a few hours of sleep before the chaos of the Avengers reassembling ensued. On my way to find a place to nap I ran into Nat. More accurately, I felt her presence in the vents above me. Fury has disciplined the both of us for our choice hideout, but never did we stop taking advantage of them.

I looked cautiously up and down the corridor I was strolling in, all clear. I tapped grates asking for entrance. The vent was pushed open and Tasha's red locks appeared, "Hey, Barton."

"Can I come up?" She reached out her hand and pulled me into the ducts. "Where you heading?" I asked although I already felt I knew the answer.

"I need to see him again, I just need to see him being punished. Just once, Clint." I nodded and let her lead the way. Our arrival above the Loki's cell, was met with stony silence from me. Tasha seemed to tense up upon looking at him. This felt like a bad idea, we just watched him, sitting and smiling to himself. I rubbed Natasha's back comfortingly but she immediately jerked away from my touch. Before I could react she was babbling.

"Sorry, sorry Clint. I just- you just surprised me, that's all." She was speaking too fast and I knew something was off.

"Tasha, what is it? Something happened while I was brainwashed, why won't tell me?" my voice was gradually rising.

"I could answer that for you, Clint Barton." Loki. There was an icy undertone to his voice that I hadn't noticed before. Natasha refused to make eye contact with me, but there was clear evidence she was panicking.

I didn't want anything to do with Loki, at the same time Tasha needed help that she wasn't admitting to. There were times where I felt the two of us were on the same page, other times I she seemed lost and didn't want to be found. There were times where I could swear she was pushing me away in almost a frightful manner.

"Tell me," I called down to Loki putting aside my desire to separate myself from him. Natasha froze, and stared at me with wide eyes.

"What do you think you're doing, Barton?" She whispered harshly.

"Nat, no one is willing to be truthful with me and it's frustrating. Now, something happened between you and I and I'm desperate to find out." Her expression said she was searching for a response and none could be formulated.

"Agent Barton, I'd suggest you come down and bring your girlfriend as well." I pushed myself through vents and landed on my feet.

"Agent Romanoff is not my girlfriend, nor does she need to be involved in this."

"Ah, but yes she does. After all you shared an earful of information on your lovely partner. Indeed, you know many small details of her, I couldn't imagine why you would deny your love for that woman."

I crossed my arms, "Don't be misled, Loki. If you were to hurt Natasha, I'd kill with my own hands."

Loki chuckled, "But look at my predicament Agent Barton," he gestured to the cell walls three were gray cinderblock walls while the one I was facing was all glass, "I am in no position to cause injury to anyone. But I need not worry, you caused plenty of injury to your partner for the both of us."

I narrowed my eyes I felt anger rising, "what do you know, Loki"

"You valued your friendship with Miss Romanoff that you could trust her, which baffles me that you could trust a woman that has done such vile, inhumane actions. She's not a human, agent, she's a machine programmed to kill and use her body to do what she is told, nothing more than that.

I begged to myself the Tasha had retreated from hearing this conversation, "If you truly believe such a lie, you don't know her."

"But, Agent Barton, you spent so long informing me of her past. I was sure to alert her that I knew her entire biography courtesy of you." I shifted my stance, "I must say, Barton, you were much more agreeable to exposing your partner for who she really is while under my influence. After all it was your own desire to kill Miss Romanoff 'slowly and intimately in every way she fears'. You hardly succeeded to my great dissatisfaction, armed with your precious bow and knives and your partner still managed victory over you. Shameful really."

I was fuming, my anger and guilt was blinding. I knew I wouldn't be able to look at her the same. I tried to kill her, I tried to kill Natasha. I stepped closer to the glass that separated Loki and I, "I will kill you. You made hurt her, you did this. I want you to die as painfully as your perverted mind can produce." In the midst of my blaring anger he scoffed at me.

"You do harbor such anger for such an extensive period, agent. I do at times regret that you were the one available to be brainwashed, so hateful, so opinionated. My task would have been met with so much ease if it were Agent Romanoff I doubt even a hesitation toward rebellion would have been found. So submissive she would have been, I would hardly attempt to control my physical desires with such a lovely physique."

The room felt hotter. I doubted I've ever possessed so much hatred for a single person. I found myself banging and kicking the glass containment while shouting profanities. Natasha fell from the vent to floor and began trying to pull me away. I shook her off, she may have been shouting at me but I was hardly aware, distracted by my own thoughts screaming at me. Suddenly Thor appeared, he pushed me away from the glass and Natasha nearly dragged me out of the room. I could hear myself still not relenting in my shouts. I was pushed into a closet by Tasha who slammed the door shut then grabbed both sides of my face. I was realized I had quieted down and were now standing in the small dark room in complete silence.

I focused on her face, tears were freely streaming down her cheeks. I wrapped my hands around her wrist and forced her hands off my face them promptly slumped to the floor and held my head in hands.

"You should go," I whispered. I felt her slide down the wall next to me.

"But you know that I'm not." She whispered back.

"I tried to kill you, I hurt you."

"I hurt you back." I didn't respond, I opted to sit in deafening silence next to her, I could ask to be alone but she would never actually leave me, she never has.

 **Natasha's POV**

I sat cross-legged with my hands covering my tear stained eyes as my elbows rested on my knees. Clint was also stationary with his head bowed. We could have spent a lifetime there, disgraced and embarrassed. At some unknown hour, Clint stood up grabbed my arm and tugged me to a standing position. He looked at me worriedly, "I'm sorry, Natasha."

"Don't call me Natasha. And you have nothing to apologize for Clint." He looked like he might argue but then stopped himself and turned to leave. I followed him down the hall and as we rounded a corner we were met with a sea of agents uniformed and armed. The crowd began to split down the middle and Loki appeared. Instinctively Clint put a protective arm around me. I noticed a muzzle-like object was placed over mouth. Even without words his prideful stare in Clint's and I direction was enough to send chills down my spine. Clint began leading me in the opposite direction of the villain. One of his security agents stopped use and asked to tell the rest of the avengers in the lounge that Loki was ready for escorting.

When the hall emptied, Clint assessed the arm he had around my shoulders and quickly removed it. He mumbled an apology which I didn't respond to. I knew he was on edge with me, but he was taking this way too far.

"You know that isn't the first time we've tried to kill each other," I smiled, "Last time you tried to kill me, you enrolled me as a SHIELD agent. I wonder what happens this time? Maybe you'll buy me a car!"

"Keep dreaming, sweetheart." We looked at each other and laughed. We were back, for now.

Before entering the lounge we could hear Steve discussing his experience on the quinjet. "No guys I'm serious. He like knew everything about her even what she wanted to eat! It was so weird, they have all these inside jokes and this deep history with each other. It just seemed like much more than partners"

We entered the lounge chuckling to ourselves while everyone stared and Steve blushed from embarrassment. "It's time to go guys." I announced trying to hold in laughter.

The escort went smoothly, we said our goodbyes to Thor and stood in central park as they prepared to leave us.

"Do you think those muzzles come in child sizes? I could find good use for one." I whispered in Clint's ear, he grinned still looking straight at Loki behind his dark sunglasses.

Once the havoc-wreaking demigod removed himself from the Earth I piled into the passenger seat of a SHIELD car. "Where to Ms. Romanoff?" Clint spoke in an overly proper English accent.

"Homeward, my dear Mr. Barton," I mimicked his tone.

"Magnificent decision, darling."

 **Please leave a review! Thank you**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you to all that read or reviewed my last chapter!**

 **To everfaraway- Excellent question. Unfortunately, according to Agent Romanoff, the answer is in fact classified.**

 **Why don't we just get started…?**

 **Clint's POV**

I woke up to Tasha leaning over from the driver's seat shaking me awake.

"What happened," I said groggily. I noticed we were pulled over on the side of the highway. I remembered driving for about ten minutes before Nat realized that I hadn't slept in days. As soon as I settled in the passenger seat the deprivation set in.

"You had a nightmare, you started yelling and swinging. It took forever to wake you." She squinted her searching for a reaction on my face.

"Sorry, that never happens…" my voice drifted off the images of my dream were starting to replay, they formed scenes.

"Clint? Clint?" I was ignoring Tasha's plea to grab my attention. Some scenes were more prominent than others.

"Nat, I remember," I was looking at her but my eyes were much farther away, "I remember the guards I shot, the helicarrier, and you. I remember holding a knife to your neck and wanting to kill you." Tasha didn't respond, "Nat, say something."

"What do you want me say, Clint? It happened I know that, I've accepted that."

"You sound infinitely stronger than me right now."

"Were human, Clint. I should know, you taught me that." Her eyes met mine I felt more at ease.

I nodded and she continued, "Listen, you haven't seen your wife or kids in a half year, you'll feel so much better when you do. Trust me, okay?" Once again I nodded and she resumed driving.

 **Natasha's POV**

The sky was a capturing swirl of pinks and oranges when we arrived. In the distance, I could see Lila and Cooper playing in the front yard while Laura sat on the porch. Lila, being the most observant, spotted our car first I could hear her squeal as she alerted the others. As we pulled up to the property, Clint was out of the car in a heartbeat wrapping the two kids in his arms. I lingered in my seat, gathering my belongings. Clint released his kids when he saw Laura approaching.

She was wearing a long floral dress her hair was down in tousled waves she wore a slight grin on her face. Clint looked seriously at her, studying her eyes they both fell silent for a few seconds just staring at each other. Laura was the first to move as she used one hand to cup Clint's face and whispered, "Hi." They both broke at once and began kissing passionately. Both of Laura's hands slipped to the back of his neck while his arms snaked around her waist. I smiled at Clint's vulnerability under his wife's watch, no one else could entice that reaction from him.

The children shuffled over to the car and nearly dragged me out of my seat screaming, "Auntie Nat!" I let them tackle me onto the grass in an aggressive hug. I laughed and gripped them in my arms kissing the tops of their heads.

"Alright, alright let Tasha breath guys!" Laura bent down and tickled Lila until she squirmed off of me, Cooper followed.

"You two can go help daddy set the table for dinner," They raced over to Barton who caught Lila in his arms and carried her into to the house.

"Great kids," I laughed still laying on my back. Laura settled by my head smoothing out my hair.

"They're alright," Laura smiled, "They really missed you this past year, I really missed you."

I sighed, "It's been a long year, Laura. And sorry about that phone call the other day, didn't want you to worry."

Laura let a small laugh escape, "Worry? You two are secret agents and assassins, I always worry. And don't apologize, if anything hearing your voice put me at ease," She looked sad, "I hadn't heard from Clint that entire day, I was scared. He called me last night and told me everything he knew about his time… brainwashed."

Rested on my elbows, "He remembers more," I whispered sadly, "in the car, he had a nightmare and it came back to him. He's so uneasy around me now."

Laura gave me puzzled look so I continued, "He recalled how badly he wanted to kill me. I had to fight him off on the helicarrier. I guess the blade he was edging to my neck stuck out in his nightmare." Laura gasped and leaned forward to hug me tightly. I hugged back, clinging to her and closing my eyes while I rested my chin on her shoulder. I felt better than alright, I felt loved and calm. I couldn't ask for a better home.

 **Later that evening  
** I was wide awake, sleep seemed terrifying and ridden with insecure thoughts, I couldn't trust sleep. I turned to my side and squinted at the clock, 2:36. I sighed and shuffled back and forth until I admitted defeat and sat up. I stared out at the scenic view, there wasn't a hint of violence upon the grassy fields and rolling hills there wasn't panic or tragedy just peace for as far as the eye could see. Then a faint sob passed through my ears. It was Lila, I registered from the direction and pitch of the sob. I threw on my silk robe and crept down the hall to her bedroom.

Lila was sitting up in her bed and her breathing was slightly labored. She stared at me with wide eyes.

"Hey little one, did you have a bad dream," I tried to sound soothing and she crawled from her bed and wrapped her arms around my legs. I lifted her to my hip, "Would you like to stay with me tonight?" The four year old nodded and I carried her back to my bed. I tucked her in next to me and smoothed her hair back.

"I had a dream that daddy didn't come back," I could practically hear my heart break as she retold her nightmare, "Nobody knew what happened, he just stopped calling mommy and then she told us that the bad guys got him."

I stroked her cheek and contemplated a response, I decided to be honest, "I worry about that too. That's why when he goes to fight the bad guys I go with him to make sure he's okay."

"You protect daddy?" I nodded.

"That's my job, so you shouldn't worry because I do my job well." Her innocent eyes took in every word, "get some rest, sweetheart. Everyone's safe." She nodded and for some reason I believed my own words.

 **Clint's POV**

Natasha and I seemed to be getting along with life too well. Ever since we had arrived two days ago we seemed perfectly normal from the outside. Laura wasn't buying it and was patiently waiting for one of us to completely crumble. Natasha and I were at war to see who would crack first.

"Well, Cooper has definitely gotten stronger," I announced as I walked in from the backyard where the kids were playing. I was rubbing my wrist where he had tugged at it. When looked up at Laura, who seemed to have ignored my comment, was looking disdainfully at the couch. I glanced down to see Tasha lying there.

"Nat's asleep," she frowned.

"I had a hunch she wasn't sleeping well these past couple of nights, glad she's getting some rest."

"Yeah, but now I have to go into town alone," Laura sighed.

"You were going to take her grocery shopping?"

My wife shook her head, "We were also going to stop at the liquor store," she smirked, "She was supposed to teach me how to buy good vodka."

I chuckled as she gathered her purse and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a bit," she paused to place a kiss on my lips before leaving.

I was sitting in the kitchen fixing sandwiches for the kids who were still running aimlessly outside when I first heard it. There was a gasp of air and a plea for someone to stop. I walked toward the couch to confirm my suspicion. Nat was twisting and sweating while trapped deep in a dream. Crouched next to her and began trying to shake her awake. Her eyes opened a bit too wide and she didn't relieve the hyperventilating. Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw me.

"Please, please don't hurt me." She begged shaking her head. To my surprise she sounded like she was about to cry.

"Tasha, why would I hurt you?" As I tried to sound calming, it came out as perplexed.

"Clint, please. Please, please don't kill me." I placed a hand on her shoulder and it was enough to send her lurching to her feet and running upstairs. I heard her bedroom door slam and I sat on the couch with my head in my hands waiting for Laura to come back and tell me what to do.

When Laura arrived I hadn't moved from the living room. She took one look at me and knew something went wrong. I spoke first as she sat down next to me, "She woke up from a nightmare, she thought I was going kill her again. She ran to her room and hasn't come down yet."

"Did you try talking to her?"

"I really don't think she wants to speak to me at the moment."

She put a hand on my leg, "Clint, you're the only person here that can remotely relate to what happened to her earlier this week. Take advantage of that please." I nodded and headed to Natasha.

I knocked on the door, I waited for a response but there was none. I tried a few more times before letting myself in. She was staring out a window with a blanket around her. She didn't face me when she spoke, "I'm sorry, I don't even know what happened. This isn't me, Clint. I don't know what's happening."

I shrugged and sat next to her, "Traumatic stress, probably." I said casually.

"Why now, Clint? Why me?" She turned to look at me.

"Because were human, Tasha. Yes, you've endured a lot more than what anyone should but it doesn't negate that still humans."

"Will you help me?" I hated to see Nat look uncertain and perishable.

"Always, were partners remember?"

 **Thank you everyone! So I'm really excited for the next few of chapters, loads of fluff and action! On a different note, (feel free to skip this if you're not interested) my new story comes out tomorrow! I'm really excited, it's called A Broken Union. It will have all the avengers in it plus others. It's going to be action packed with plenty of (romantic) clintasha! Please check it out, I'm really happy with this one!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for all the support!**

 **Two Years before the fall of SHIELD**

 **Natasha's POV**

For the next few days, Clint and Laura monitored me carefully. They never wanted me to be alone and made sure I was occupied with some activity. I appreciated the concern, but I had yet to experience another episode. Nevertheless, they worried about me.

It was a late Saturday evening, the Barton family was holding a Pixar movie marathon. Mostly, it was for the entertainment of Lila and Cooper but I enjoyed the children movies. We began with Ratatouille, Lila fell asleep just before the end credits. Next was Wall-E, Cooper fell asleep half way through the film. By the time I popped in the Incredibles, Laura was curled up in Clint's arms nodding off resting her head on his chest. I was wide awake, studying the outlawed heroes of the films. I was stretched out on the couch opposite to the couple, Lila was lying on top of me her head snoozing on my chest.

"Nat?" Clint grumbled from across the room, quiet enough to not wake his sleeping wife.

"Yeah?" My eyes remained peeled to the screen.

"How are you?" He sounded genuinely sympathetic.

"What do you mean?" I frowned and turned to look at him.

He shook his head, "You know what I mean, Nat. You went through a lot, you experienced pure fear."

I snapped my head back to the screen, "I wasn't afraid."

We both knew this was obviously false. Clint gripped Laura a bit closer before he spoke, "You were afraid when we fought on the helicarrier. I'm still getting over that."

I didn't look at him to respond, "It's different, Clint. I did it to save you, I'm alright with that."

"Well what about Banner? You avoided him."

I stayed watching the film, "I'm not afraid of Bruce."

"Then why did you avoid him on the quinjet?"

His persistence began to irritate me, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Natasha, you don't have to pretend to be fearless. It's not realistic and I won't think any less of you."

I wanted him to stop, I wasn't afraid of Banner but I couldn't prove it. I opted to shift subjects and hopefully cease the conversation, "Don't call me Natasha." He frowned but didn't speak. We both fell asleep before the movie ended.

* * *

"Aunt Nat?" I snapped awake, Cooper was standing over my spot on the couch. Lila was no longer on top of me and only Clint was asleep in the living room.

"Aunt Nat, mommy made pancakes!" The house smelled heavenly and sat up to take in the scent. Cooper ran back to kitchen to fix a plate.

"Hey Tasha, can you wake the sleepy head so he can eat," Laura called from the kitchen, gesturing to Clint.

I nodded and pulled myself into a standing position. Clint was sprawled out ungracefully with his mouth hanging wide open. I checked over my shoulder in ensure no one was watching before I punched his arm with considerable force.

"What the-… Tasha!" Clint swung lazily in my direction.

I fell into a fit of laughter, "You consider yourself an assassin with those skills?"

He sent me a glare, "We're sparring today, I need a chance to demonstrate my skills since apparently you need a reminder."

I could help the sarcasm that boastful attitude elicited, "Ah, yes! Perhaps you'll last a whole five minutes before I pin you down."

Clint shook his head and laughed. He held out his hand prompting me to help him up. "Old man," I mumbled as I took his hand. He smirked just before he applied excessive force into the pull and used his free hand to flip the rest of my body on the couch. The children, whose attention we had now captured, cheered for their dad. I geared to wrap my legs around his neck, using my core to build momentum.

"Children!" Laura scolded over the stove. Lila and Cooper shakily turned around to face their mother. Laura expression softened when she saw their nervous faces, "Oh no babies, I wasn't yelling at you," she looked up to glare at Clint and I while smirking, "I meant those children."

"Clint, stop holding her down and Tasha put your legs down before you break his neck!" we swiftly adjusted ourselves to standing side by side, "Better. Now come eat, please." Laura turned back to the pan on the stove.

I nudged Clint, "Even she thought I was going to win."

After breakfast Clint and I settled on the front porch while Laura was off gardening. We both kept silent, focusing on the kids playing in the front of us. Clint kept looking up at me, then would quickly glance away again.

I sighed, "Barton, if you have something to say to me, just say it."

Clint made an unpleasant sound, "It just, last night when we were talking about Banner," he looked extremely uncomfortable.

I rolled my eyes, "what about Banner?"

"I don't want it to seem like I was trying to force you to prove anything to me," Clint studied me for a response, but I didn't offer one. This matter was sensitive for the both of us, I knew that I felt some form of hesitance toward the doctor but I never wanted that to be publicly known. Clint recognized this but refused to drop the matter for cautionary reasons that I might do something overly dramatic to get my point across.

Thankfully, Clint's SHIELD phone interrupted our conversation, Clint excused himself and headed into the house. I tilted my head back and enjoyed the view, while taking in the giggles and squeals of the children.

A few minutes later both Clint and Laura appeared in the doorway.

"Fury has a mission for us, we leave tonight." Clint looked disappointed.

"Well, I guess we couldn't hide from them forever. What do you know about the mission?" I stood up to head inside.

His faced began to glow with amusement, "Super-secret agent intel stuff. In Vegas."

"We're going to Vegas?" I couldn't help the widening of my eyes. Clint and I had long ago made a mental list of cities we wanted to be assigned too, Las Vegas was near the top of that list. "Well I better get packing."

 **Clint's POV**

As Tasha headed inside, Laura and I overlooked the picturesque view of our two kids playing an endless game of tag under the afternoon sun while their parents observed.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to be Hawkeye again." The words passed my mouth without any forethought.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready either, but the world certainly is." I knew she wasbeing as blunt as possible.

"You make me sound some kind of hero."

She reached out to touch my face, "but you are." I pulled her closer to me so that our lips touched, slowly and carefully. We closed our eyes to enjoy the moment.

"Get a room!" Nat's footsteps marched passed where we stood on the porch as she made her way to Lila and Cooper.

"Oh, I got a room, sweetheart! I've got a whole house!" I yelled from the porch to the yard. Laura was giggling and blushing at our interruption.

Nat turned around and smirked, "I'm mentally giving you finger, Barton!"

"Once again, children, the two of you!" Laura shouted.

 **Okay so hoped you like the fluff! The next two or three chapters will cover the Las Vegas mission (I'm excited!). Also if you're reading my other story, A Broken Union, that will also be updated today. Thank you!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Welcome to Las Vegas Part 1!**

 **I feel I haven't done this in a while so here's a special thank you to: ThePenguinApocalyspe, KnowInsight, rohanyoshi (loved your comment), and Death is inevitable!**

… **And a big thank you to those that continuously review this story with super helpful comments: Ealasaid Una, Niom Lamboise, discordchick, everfarway, Alex C, and LittleeOne!**

 **Please keep reviewing, I really love reading every one!**

 **Still Two Years before the Fall of SHIELD**

 **Natasha's POV**

Leaving behind the peace and comfort of the farm took an unnoticeable toll. Except to Clint, of course. My partner, without a doubt, was the only one who understand the pain of having to go back to our jobs. The entire trip back were usually spent finding ways to cheer each other up.

Such frivolous conversations were absent from our journey to HQ. We passed the time looking over our briefing file for the mission. The mission itself was simple, uploading information on an influential Black Market entrepreneur off his personal computer. The target, Luis Deteiro, ran several strip joint and adult nightclubs in Vegas. He was a playboy, known for extravagantly blowing his riches to impress the latest one night stand.

"Piece of cake, we'll be done in a day or two," Clint was helping me decide on which provocative dress Deteiro might find most pleasing.

He sat on my bed nitpicking over a handful of arrows, I held up two cocktail length dresses. "You seem awfully cocky about this," I observed.

"The red one is tighter and shows more cleavage," He gestured to the slightly longer dress hanging off my left wrist, "we've done a million of these missions, a have a right to be confident."

"Point taken, just don't let that arrogance blind you from keeping sharp surveillance while I'm selling myself to the target," I tugged his arm to pull him into a standing position, "Help me pick out an inappropriately revealing evening gown."

I heard him mumble something about not getting paid enough for this, and I chuckled as I flicked his temple.

An hour later we were gearing to board separate private jets. To eliminate suspicion Clint and I would appear to be two strangers until I completed the mission.

"See you in the shadows, Barton." We stood facing each on the tarmac, leaning in closely to hear each other over the engines.

"See you there. And about before, when it comes to protecting you, nothing would blind me."

He looked at me seriously and I smiled, "Stop trying to be dramatic, Barton. You sound like young adult novel," I pressed an earpiece into his palm, "Don't be an idiot and keep this in your ear."

We went our separate ways, somewhat saddened that we were now alone.

 **Clint's POV**

The nightclub was loud and unnecessarily dark, but that worked to my advantage. I was tucked away in a tight corner a safe distant from the swarms of sweat glistened partygoers. My first priority was to survey my partner, my second was to get out of this place.

"Hope you're not feeling up any girls in there, Hawk," I could practically hear Nat smiling at her joke through the earpiece.

"I hope you plan on getting in here soon, Widow," A moment later she came into view. Opposite of my garb, she was sporting the eye-catching red dress I had approved.

"It takes time to look this hot," She gave one of the many masculine eyes screwed to her a devilish grin.

"Let's hope it paid off," I whispered as she approached Deteiro. Every Thursday he stopped by The Champagne Glass, one of his several businesses he owned, for maintenance and employment assessment. Deteiro never stayed for long according to the SHIELD, hopefully his lack to stay the club would inspire him to take Tasha to his home as soon as possible.

As I've seen her do a million times, Tasha batted her eyelashes, giggled at every joke, and was the textbook version of the ideal one night stand. It took twenty four minutes for Deteiro to suggest they move to his house for a quieter conversation.

I followed them out the club to where Nat and the target were waiting for the valet service. "Nearly a half hour for you to seduce the mark, I think you might be losing your edge, Romanoff."

She fixated herself into the passenger seat, just before the door close she made a subtle gesture in my direction while keeping her eyes on Deteiro.

"Was that obscene gesture meant for me?" I joked, fully aware she'd punch me for it later.

I proceeded down the street and picked the fastest car I saw. I hotwired it in seconds and used shortcuts beat Deteiro there.

"Ok Tasha, I'm here. As soon as Deteiro disarms the system to unlock the front door I'll be able to sneak through the window straight into the office," obviously there was no direct response from my partner just an array of flirts meant for the mark.

A few minutes later she said the code word, alerting me I had full clearance. "Alright, I'm in his office heading to the computer. Keep him occupied in the- Ouch!" I stumbled before I regained my balance and turned to see what tripped me. A child's toy fire truck appeared to be the item in question. I took a small gasp as the toy began blaring sirens and music. "Romanoff, I may have messed up."

I heard Deteiro fall silent for a moment before resuming, "Excuse me Miss Ella. I hate to interrupt our private time together but allow me to investigate one thing," His footsteps indicated he was leaving and Tasha wasn't following.

"Barton, talk to me. What is that sound?" She sounded hardly worried and more pissed at me.

"Nat, if he's heading this way I'm not going to get to these files in time," I fumbled over the keyboard, "You're going to have to put him down for a nap."

"Copy that, idiot."

"I deserved that one," I smiled to myself. She said nothing for a half minute.

"Yes you did. Target is asleep I'm heading to you now."

The office was tucked in the back of the large house, it took her nearly a minute to calmly stroll inside.

"I fixed the problem," I gestured to the wall behind me where the shattered remains of the toy lie. She rolled her eyes and joined me at the computer.

"Find anything interesting?" She shoved me roughly aside and took a seat in front of the screen. I opened my mouth to respond when we heard the sound of the front door being kicked in.

"I'll hold them off, the upload should be ready in about a minute. Get the flash drive then come help me," I jogged from the room to meet my intruders, they were uniformed and a bit on the obese side. Their backs were turned to me as they used their flashlights to inspect from grand living room. I used a swift leg swipe to bring their feet from under them. Before they had a chance to see me I pinned their forearms behind their necks until they passed out.

Tasha came into the room on alert, "Who are they?"

"The local police, I guess our guy called in a possible home intruder before you took him out," I stood from my crouch position and turned to face her.

"But bad guys don't call the police, because they're bad guys," she squinted to the men on the floor.

"Unless they're not criminals," I pointed out, "SHIELD may have messed up."

"But SHIELD doesn't mess up," she said more to herself than me, "Although it would explain why the only thing on this flash drive are divorce papers, business documents, and school projects."

"Get changed, we need to get to the hotel," Tasha nodded and walked away.

We made it to the room a short fifteen minutes later. We did a basic check for wires or anything suspicious, we came up with nothing. I went to the bathroom to wash up, when I came out Nat was sitting on the edge of bed looking lost.

"You alright?" She looked up at me, as if she was debating whether to share her thoughts or not.

She sighed and stood, "I know who I am but I don't know my fears very well. This is my first mission since New York, I can't figure out why I'm still so afraid, Barton."

Her eyes suddenly became filled with tears. "Hey, hey. It's alright, it's okay," I had pulled her into my arms, she hid her face and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"This PTSD isn't easy, Clint," I heard her mumble from my shoulder. I just nodded and waited for her to pull herself together when she'd push away from me.

It took nearly ten minutes but she did shyly step away from me and took a seat on the couch looking deflated.

I sat next her, "Romanoff and Barton never have an extraction plan. Strike Team: Delta- Fury's dream team. Now Tasha we both know that you are slightly smarter than me, so I need you to figure out why we're here."

She pinched the bridge of nose in search of an answer, "You and I we get results on missions deemed impossible. The question we should be asking is why are we on this simple task?"

"If there's more to this mission, why wouldn't Fury tell us?" I retorted, Fury knew that Nat and I were comfortable with most missions.

Nat looked up sharply as if a light bulb was coming on, "Unless Fury doesn't know. He has no reason not trust us, in fact he has to. Why would Fury send his best agents to do this?"

"Because he needed them, he needed us to figure that out for him. But what could Fury need from us?"

She stood up and began pacing, "The one thing the director would do anything for, information. But what information could he want?"

My eyes widened, "He doesn't know. Nat, he sent us here to find out a secret that he doesn't know about. The mission was a cover, SHIELD might mess up but Fury doesn't."

"Okay so were in Las Vegas, sent on a mock mission and told nothing. From now on, everything is a clue and everyone is a potential suspect. Fury sent us in for something dangerous and we need to come up with something."

I smiled at her, "Welcome to Vegas, Tasha."

 **Las Vegas Part Two will be up soon.**

 **Sorry for the delay, this chapter was written, scrapped, rewritten, and re-brainstormed several times. Please, please let me know what you think. I could really use feedback. Thank you.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Natasha's POV**

"Natasha, don't move. This looks bad. Just don't kill me please."

Clint's hand was clasped over my mouth, I couldn't see his face in the dark whatever we were in, but that was distinctly Clint.

I had been drugged, that thought was nearly shouting at me. It took significantly longer to drag myself out of sleep only to be met with Clint frightfully silencing me.

"Clint," I whispered. I wasted no time gathering myself and opted to begin accessing the environment.

"No evidence of an exit, no light source, the metal appears sturdy and solid, no recollection of the events leading us here, no leads, no suspects…" Clint rambled on about his pessimistic ideals.

Respectfully, he was technically right. We awoke in a packed rectangular prism, a metal box where the ceiling couldn't have been higher than four feet and even while sitting against opposite walls were at most a meter apart.

"Clint, I can't think myself out of this one. There's too many variables and what ifs. I mean anyone could have put us here we don't have a single clue. Isn't it delightful that the last thing I remember was our conversation in the hotel after we completed our mock mission? Remind me why we didn't just go home?"

Clint scoffed, "Something about a challenge, I believe is what we reasoned."

"Wait, did you hear that?" I began feeling the sterile cold walls.

"What is it?" Barton was significantly quieter.

"Like a hum and vibration," I pressed my ear to the metal straining desperately for a clue.

My body protested, it wanted sleep more than ever wanted anything before. "Clint! I think it's a sleeping gas," I peered over to my partner's dark figure who was blissfully snoozing.

 **Clint's POV**

"Argh!" I twisted my body trying to situate myself upright, "God, is this what forty feels like?" Every muscle felt sore, everyone cried at each movement I attempted. "Nat?" I asked the empty air while mustering up the control to turn my head to face her. Tasha released a short, pathetic whimper from where she uncomfortably laid out against the opposite walls. My head snapped in that direction, I registered light was now glowing from the walls and could see clearly.

I prayed for adrenaline to lessen the pain as crawled to her and pulled her upper body into my lap. Her appearance was one of which who was determined to find death.

"Tasha, can you speak?" She was pale but sweating profusely, here bloodshot eyes and agonizingly slow breathing gave away the sort of severe pain she was combating.

She didn't respond, she was stiff and as I soon pieced together, was paralyzed. Her eyes struggled to meet mine then promptly gave up.

Tasha was going to die in my arms. I couldn't let her down, I needed to save her. First, I needed to sleep again.

 **Natasha's POV**

I bolted upright the moment I came to. I didn't waste time clutching my chest and gasping for air. Clint lay unconscious, thankfully unable to witness me close my eyes and collapse to the floor convulsing violently.

I had the heavy urge to fall asleep again, I fought it strongly and kept jerking my body until I went completely still. All together it took eight minutes from when I awoke until I felt the floor shift from under my legs and stronger hands lower my limp body to a sound of chaos below.

"Where's the crash cart? Bring me an AED now!"

"Her vitals keep dropping! She'll be dead within the minute!" The hands placed me on a cool stiff cot. Panicked voiced rushed to me, feeling my pulse, opening my mouth and tilting my head back. They yelped when my body went into convulsions again and dispersed to retrieve the proper tools.

The moment I sensed a hand hovering over my arm I grabbed the wrist and forced my eyes open. I didn't waste a moment. My thighs were grasping the woman wearing a lab coat as my legs swung to head kick the man next to her. I rolled onto a table of supplies just as the rest of the doctors filed from the lab and were replaced with five guards.

I crouched below the table waiting for my attackers to come to me. Above my head, suspended from the low ceiling was the box. From the outside it appeared to be a glass box where my dozing partner could clearly be observed by the entire lab.

I needed to find a release switch so Clint could assist in taking down the guards, he would loathe missing a good fight for a catnap. The guards were advancing on my position but I steadied myself waiting for the absolute last moment to strike.

I made light work of the work of the attackers and focused on the bright red button with the words 'enclosure latch' on the other side of the room.

I managed to scale over the table while striking the head of a now conscious guard. I heard shouts down the hall and I knew my time was limited. I took advantage of the momentary peace and released Clint, who proceeded to drop unceremoniously from the floorless glass box. His back hit a metal table with a sickening bang. To my relief, my partner released his classic groan and blinked awake.

The voices and footsteps were gaining on our location, I didn't have a luxury of waiting for Clint to recover making him an easy target. In an effort to protect him I disarmed the closest unconscious guard and leaped over to Barton and straddled his chest.

"Natasha?" He asked slowly. Before I opened my mouth to respond the door busted and didn't hesitate delivering kill shots to the armed targets. Five men went down without even a chance to fire their glocks.

My focus went back to Clint, carefully examining him for injuries. His eyes were wide now, waiting for me to offer some sort of explanation. Without missing a beat, he grabbed my wrist dragging me down while heaving himself up, covering my body. Without removing my own gun from my hand he issued three carefully placed bullets near the doorway. To confirm his kill I heard the sound of three bodies slumping to the floor.

Clint looked down at me smirking partially from our comically compromising position, "You missed a few."

I stared at him baffled at his sudden surge of energy and precise abilities. I grinned back at him shaking my head, "I would be lying if I were to say that I wasn't impressed."

Barton pushed himself off of me and lowered himself to the floor before offering me a unneeded hand to follow in suite, "We really need to stop taking Fury's bait."

"We'll never learn," I sighed, "Vent shaft, wide enough to escape through," I quickly shifted topics eyeing the grate on the opposite wall.

Clint nodded and picked up a laptop and a few files scattered amongst the lab. I collected three more guns gifting two of them to Barton.

"Let's move."

Clint lead the way through the stuffy vent groaning irritably at each surroundings.

"So, Nat, care to enlighten me on how you pulled us out of this mess."

I rolled my eyes, "I hardly call crawling our way in an unknown building without any knowledge of what just happened as pulling through."

He scoffed, "Considering there was a moment I believed you were going to die in my arms, I think it would be appropriate for you to start there."

"Well, as you know I have pretty stable control over how my body functions. When I paralyzed I realized that were were being experimented on, my body was negatively reacting to whatever medication they were putting in us. I had a hunch when I started falling asleep the second time that whoever was doing the testing needed us alive so, I tried my own theory."

"What did you do? How did you get them to release you?"

""Easy, when I woke up I controlled my breathing and relaxed my pulse. Then I spiked both and pretended to go into convulsions. After a few minutes, when I throughly convinced those science monkeys that I going into cardiac arrest they finally had no choice but to attempt to revive me. "

"That was a bold hunch to rely on." He responded simply.

"Like you wouldn't have taken the same risk?"

"I absolutely would have if I was smart enough to think it." I smiled to myself and allowed myself to bask in Clint's praise.

I trusted his twist and turns in navigating through the shafts, he seemed fairly confident he knew how to find an exit so when he paused in front of a vent gaping at whatever he saw through the grates.

"Tasha," he began slowly, "we were in the basement."

I studied his perplexed face, wondering. "I figured that, why do sound so surprised?"

"We were in the the basement of the Bellagio Casino."

 **Well, well, well our two assassins just landed themselves in the fanciest casino in Vegas. Perhaps we might see a glamourous end to this mission after all. I will put up one last chapter on Vegas before I put this mission to bed.**

 **So, I' back! I know, I know! I went on an unexpected hiatus but it's over now! This past month has been incredible, stressful, and very new either way I missed writing so much, I missed my amazing reviewers and followers. I'm so glad to be back!**

 **If you are following my other story 'A Broken Union' expect a new a chapter by this weekend. We are back in buisness everyone!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Welcome to the Final Part of the Las Vegas Mission!**

 **Alright so after this chapter I will drizzle in some nice fluff before I get started on the events of CA:TWS. I hope you look forward to that, because I'm really excited to write it.**

 **Thank you for all the reviews and support, I really appreciate your time.**

 **To everfaraway- Hmm, I wonder that too... (BTW, you ask the best questions!)**

 **Clint POV**

I peered through the vent eyeing the grand building and sea of tourists swarming the floor below. Natasha roughly shoved me aside to get a look for herself.

"How do you know this is the Bellagio?" She asked suspiciously.

"I've been here before," I responded slowly.

"For a mission?" She sounded irritated that I seemed to be leaving out information.

"Not exactly. When Laura was seventeen she officially ran away from her parents. We weren't dating yet but I was making decent money as a sniper for hire so I paid for the both of us to travel across the country and disappear. We ended up staying here for two weeks."

"You stayed here for two weeks? SHIELD must pay you peanuts compared to what you were making." Tasha rarely ever cared about how much she was making, as long as she was working for the lesser of two evils.

I laughed, "Yeah well it feels better to have some moral value working for SHIELD. To be honest I'm surprised I even remembered what this place looked like. I don't remember much about that trip except that I left as 'more than friends with Laura'."

"That long ago, huh?" Tasha turned her head away from the overlooking view of the main lobby.

I smiled at her, "No that much booze actually. We had fake I.D.'s and countless bars to visit, we had a good time."

Nat raised an eyebrow, "I have no comment on that," she said sarcastically, "but I do know that we need to get out of here and find out why we were in here." She began crawling again, taking the lead. She led us to an overwhelmingly upscale hotel room.

"This suite cost more than my house!" Clint glanced around the main living room pausing to examine the large window giving a picturesque view of the Vegas nightlife and stunning fountains.

"I have a strong urge to jump on this bed," My partner yelled from the one of the bedrooms, before sighing dramatically and returning to the main room. "Look through those files and that laptop for information, I'll be right back."

"Where could you possibly be going?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

She shrugged and responded plainly, "Shopping."

Before I could question it, she was out the door. I began sifting the files looking for any familiar names but nothing rang a bell. That laptop proved to have a lot more information on who or what this organization was.

Tasha returned to the room less than ten minutes later without looking up from the screen I deadpanned, "So, shopping huh?"

"Something like that," She strolled over to me and dumped three wallets and a cell phone onto my lap, "Interesting what goods you can get for free nowadays."

"Criminal," I huffed. She laughed and picked up the phone.

"I'm calling Fury, he better take my call after what he just put us through."

Natasha huffed before encrypting the call line and dialing Fury's direct line. While she dialed I positioned the computer so that she could read the screen while she talked. The page I was viewing covered details on the operation this group called the "Inhuman Transitioning"

As soon as Fury's gruff voice came through she put the phone on speaker and held it in the space between us.

 **Third Person POV**

Nat- Director, pleasure to be speak to you. For a moment there I thought I might be far too dead to.

Fury- So, I imagine you pieced together that was a mock mission.

Clint- That became undeniably evident when you wake up packed in a box being experimented on like guinea pigs

Fury- I needed information, Barton. I needed to know what this science organization was operating. They call themselves Romulan and the Bellagio is their main investor. Usually they keep quiet but they were spotted smuggling Chitauri body parts after New York. I had Hill hack their records and they were planning to use trained agents to experiment with alien flesh in hopes to build the next super soldiers.

Clint- So you sent us in as bait.

Fury- The top enforcement agency in the world conveniently dropping their two best agents just blocks away from their main lab. I knew they wouldn't be able to resist.

Nat- Sir, with all due respect, that entire plan sounds reckless. If they had been able finish the experiments we could have died, or worse.

Fury- I know what I did, Romanoff. I don't regret it either.

Clint- So what did we accomplishment, exactly. A few dead scientist? It's not like this "Romulan" is just finished with, it sounds like you put our lives on the line for no reason, sir.

Fury- Or maybe I trust your abilities more than yourselves. Either way you are going to end to the organization. We've imputed a code alert that will vanish any Romulan file, database, any program dealing with their work since their birth will be destroyed.

Clint- Sounds like you guys are doing the dirty work for us.

Fury- Not exactly, we need them to get the message that SHIELD is watching their every movement after they all scramble, so you need to eliminate the leader, Stephen Cromer. As soon as you complete that task a SHIELD quinjet will be waiting to bring you back. Fury out.

 **Natasha's POV**

Clint threw his body back toward the couch the rubbed his temples, "God, I hate all this compartmentalizing. I didn't sign up for this"

I rested my forehead on my palms, "I thought rule number one of SHIELD code was, 'if you think you know what's going you already don't'"

"Yeah, that sounds more realistic." Clint pulled himself together and began furiously typing, I leaned over to get a better a look at the screen.

"You're signing into SHIELD's file library."

"SHIELD must have a file on this Cromer guy, their database shares far too personal information as it is, we might be able to find out where he is now."

"Technology takes all the joy out of being an assassin," I signed dramatically.

"Joy and assassin don't belong in the same sentence, the only reason I like this job is because you're here with me."

I smirked, "I was in this for the health insurance." Clint laughed then paused squinting his eyes at the computer.

"According to his weekly patterns, he's usually in some club mingling every weekend night."

"A wealthy social butterfly? Probably arrogant and sleazy, it's like reading a textbook with these guys."

Clint stood and grabbed my arm, "Were going to make a quick stop, buying some really clothes, come on I want this guy dead in an hour."

Fifteen minutes later the two of us strolled into the first bar. Clint was looking surprisingly handsome in black slacks and a black button down. I was sporting a tight red and black cocktail dress the barely concealed my rear. All my hair was swept to one side and I applied red lips to complete the look. We both had serval concealed firearms and knives on our person

I sifted through the dance floor making distance from Barton. Being around a single guy would intimidate or turn off a potential suitor or target. A target that sought me out instead of vice versa made my job severally easy.

The major inconvenience was our lack of SHIELD equipment. We had no comms to talk through which meant reverting back to gestures and rendezvous points. Still we're confident that the mission could be completed with simplicity if we worked in our usually precise manner.

This nightclub called "The Hyde" was targetless, I signaled to Clint, who I knew would be watching me, that I target wasn't here. He responded in agreement and for us to meet immediately outside of the club.

"If he isn't here, there's a very good chance he'll be at the other popular club here, The Bank," I told Clint as we navigated through the halls.

"That's a stupid name for a club."

I snorted, "Hawkeye is a stupid name for an assassin."

Clint gasped sarcastically, "I'm offended. At least it's better than the Black Widow that's just-" he sighed in defeat, "Nevermind, that's an awesome name for an assassin."

I laughed to myself, "Shut up, we're here."

The Bank was crowded mess, uncomfortably loud and sweaty. There were far too many intoxicated ones, and I knew I would slobbered on by some arrogant douche before I made to the center of the club. Clint let me move away from him reluctantly. Seconds later I felt an unsteady but confident hand grope my butt. I sighed and swatted the sleazy man's hand away. Clint instantly appeared at my side again.

"Well, that didn't take too long." I said regarding his quick reappearance.

"Sorry but I'm not letting a hundred guys look at you like some kind of choice meat they can put their clammy hands on."

"I can handle myself, Barton." I said with slight irritation.

Another intoxicated man swayed passed me with his focus directed right at my cleavage. Clint put his arm around me and leaned close to my ear, "But you don't have too."

I sighed and gave into his protective tendencies. We made it to the dance floor and he let me go to see if we could spot the target.

At the same time we spotted a man who looked too old to be clubbing, but had an army of scarcely dressed woman grinding up on him. Clint signaled for me to go in to lure him from the club.

I washed myself in seductive looks and too innocent movements to capture Cromer's attention. His eyes met mine as I swayed my hips to the dead center of the dance floor.

He was hooked. He casually left his spot in the circle of woman I came over to me. I felt my partner staring holes into the target from the darkened portion of the room.

"Hey," Was all Cromer said before roughly grabbing me by my waist and turning me around. I really hated this job sometimes.

I took his notion and began grinding against him to the music, I could see Clint glaring at both me and the target. I sighed I kept moving suggestively for five minutes before slowly bring my lips close to his ear and asking if we could take this some place quieter.

Once again with only a slight nod he practically dragged me to the sitting area in the darker, more secluded corner of the club.

He sat down and pulled me onto his lap. I needed him to leave the club so we could take care of the job cleanly.

"Have you ever kissed a billionaire, sweetheart?" He asked with far too much arrogance. I shook my head sweetly. Clint situated himself in earshot of our conversation growing with anger.

"Why don't you give me a lap dance and I'll give you more than a kiss." I was disgusted by his attitude. If I gave into his request there was a small fear of how upset Barton would be. I wasn't supposed to be using my body for missions anymore. I could flirt, even kiss them every now and then. But if Fury or Clint ever found out I went further than that, they'd be put on the kill list.

I leaned into his ear again, "Why don't we get out of here and I'll do so much more than a dance."

"Why wait?" He asked before grabbing my waist with one and my wrist in the other and forcing me down onto the couch. He let his hands explore my body before leaning on top of me and whispering, "If you relax it'll feel better."

He perked his head back up and began inching my dress up. I could easily get out of this situation, I could break his neck in milliseconds or simply shove him away from me and walk away. I was still clinging to the idea that we could complete this mission without drawing attention, which meant leaving him with the thought that he was in control and try and convince him to get somewhere private.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The club erupted into screams and the target's body slumped onto the floor. I looked over at Clint who held his gun unapologetically. We geared up to run from the room in frenzy like everyone else.

"Thanks for the dramatics," I sighed as I moved my dress into its proper place.

"I panicked," He lied in his bored, most collected voice.

We disappeared into the crazed evacuating crowd and whisked ourselves to the night Vegas air. Waiting outside directly in front of the main entrance was a limousine. The driver standing outside waved us over and presented his SHIELD badge.

The driver smirked, "Fury paid for the best limo we could find. I don't know what you went through, but he sure is trying to make up for it."

Clint laughed, "You have no idea."

 **And that's what happened in Vegas.**

 **Enjoy the next few fluffy scenes!**


End file.
